Ireland outmuscled by experienceRUGBY: Autumn Internationals As encouragement gave way to a feeling of anti-climax, you came away from the Aviva on Saturday…Mon Nov 12 2012 - 00:00
Springboks won't give an inch as Ireland search for redemptionRUGBY: Ireland v South Africa To hell with the IRB rankings, World Cup draws, the presence of Lions coach Warren Gatland and…Sat Nov 10 2012 - 00:00
O'Mahony always had good head for heightsIRELAND v SOUTH AFRICA: Tough and versatile, Peter O’Mahony is a natural born leader in red and in greenSat Nov 10 2012 - 00:00
All has changed for new-look IrelandA new captain, a new hooker, three more potential debutants on the bench, seven changes in personnel and two positional from …Fri Nov 09 2012 - 00:00
Heaslip humbled and delighted at captaincyAs Declan Kidney noted, Jamie Heaslip would be swift to deny it. In truth, he would probably the first to do soFri Nov 09 2012 - 00:00
O'Connell absence a huge blowTo lose one Lions captain may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like a potential game-changerThu Nov 08 2012 - 00:00
Meyer entrusts talented Lambie with crucial outhalf roleDespite a flight of wild geese proportions to more lucrative climes in Europe and Japan, along with an horrendous injury list…Thu Nov 08 2012 - 00:00
Eager-to-get-going Trimble laughs off Pietersen gaffeTo be mistaken for a goalkicking French outhalf whose national team have long since discarded him and who is notionally second…Wed Nov 07 2012 - 00:00
Zebo ready to move into fullback from left fieldThe most interesting selection in the Ireland team to play South Africa when it is announced tomorrow will be the occupant of…Wed Nov 07 2012 - 00:00
It's Kidney's duty to put the best team possible on the pitch for IrelandON RUGBY: The gnashing of teeth which has greeted Michael Bent’s call-up has been surprisingTue Nov 06 2012 - 00:00
Indispensable Ross faces a stern test at tightheadINTERVIEW: Few have carried a heavier load over recent years than Mike Ross, so few would appreciate some back-up more than …Tue Nov 06 2012 - 00:00
O'Connell looks ready to lift the burdenRUGBY: IRELAND CAMP The sight of Paul O’Connell, along with Cian Healy, bounding out on to the pitch at Carton House yesterday…Tue Nov 06 2012 - 00:00
London providing a new lease of life for one of Munster's favourite sonsINTERVIEW: TOMÁS O'LEARY The London-Irish scrumhalf is enjoying the hectic challenge of life in the PremiershipSat Oct 27 2012 - 01:00
Qualified Bent could get Ireland out of a tight spotNOVEMBER INTERNATIONALS: RICHARDT STRAUSS and David Kilcoyne having been fast-tracked into the 31-man Irish squad which will…Fri Oct 26 2012 - 01:00
Strauss joined by three other new capsAS EXPECTED, Richardt Strauss is in line to be named on the bench and thus make his debut for Ireland against his native South…Thu Oct 25 2012 - 01:00
Strauss set for Ireland squad call-upRICHARDT STRAUSS is set to be named in an Ireland squad for the first time today when Declan Kidney unveils a 20-man panel for…Wed Oct 24 2012 - 01:00
Operation to sideline Kearney for 10 weeksRUGBY: IRELAND AND Leinster have been dealt a decidedly ill-timed blow with the news that Rob Kearney is to undergo an operation…Wed Oct 24 2012 - 01:00
Irish sides stand in way of Anglo-French bulliesON RUGBY: CAST A cursory glance across the six Heineken Cup group tables and, as is the case off the pitch, the French and English…Tue Oct 23 2012 - 01:00
Munster burst into life late to secure bonus pointMunster 33 Edinburgh 0: MAYBE IT was the Sunday brunchtime kick-off but after a fairly soporific first 40 minutes, Munster exploded…Mon Oct 22 2012 - 01:00
Murray shows mental strength to go with the physicalNO LESS than his physical strength, Conor Murray has mental strength as wellMon Oct 22 2012 - 01:00
Munster reclaim that old magicRUGBY: AFTER AN oddly dull and uneventful first period on a glorious autumnal Sunday in Limerick, the thought occurred that …Mon Oct 22 2012 - 01:00
Munster need to get cooking at homeSKY SPORTS have done much for the Heineken Cup, but the unwanted, TV-dictated Sunday brunch time kick-off isn’t uppermost amongst…Sat Oct 20 2012 - 01:00
Hobbled Leinster need to show some patience in the valleysRUGBY: THE VERDICT on this current Leinster team cannot be suspended much longer and today, as they say, should tell us much…Sat Oct 20 2012 - 01:00
Pienaar returns to bonus territoryFOR RUAN Pienaar, it was quite a return to the Ulster foldWed Oct 17 2012 - 01:00
Connacht post attracts worldwide interestTHE IMPENDING vacancy in Connacht for the position as head coach next season has already attracted a high calibre of interest…Wed Oct 17 2012 - 01:00
Leinster struggling to find their rhythmLeinster 9 Exeter 6: LAST WEEK against Munster had seemed like a step forward for the European champions but, even allowing …Mon Oct 15 2012 - 01:00
Three out of four ain't bad but still plenty to improve onRUGBY: THREE WINS out of four but in truth this wasn’t one of the most distinguished of Heineken Cup opening weekends by the…Mon Oct 15 2012 - 01:00
'They lost that today to be honest'FOLLOWING ON from a stop-start beginning to their campaign, the largely positive first hour against Munster would have been forgotten…Mon Oct 15 2012 - 01:00
Pienaar ensures a maximum haulHEINEKEN CUP POOL FOUR Ulster 41 Castres 17: ULSTER MADE desperately heavy weather of obtaining the bonus point that the class…Sat Oct 13 2012 - 01:00
Anxious Leinster begin their defence with tricky openerLeinster v Exeter Chiefs: SO IT begins, Leinster’s defence of their back-to-back European crowns and with it their pursuit of…Sat Oct 13 2012 - 01:00
Determined Ulster to start campaign on a winning noteHEINEKEN CUP POOL FOUR Ulster v Castres: A PROVINCE expects and all that, and probably like never beforeFri Oct 12 2012 - 01:00
No progress reported in ERC talksTHERE WERE no revelations after another lengthy meeting of the ERC stakeholders in Rome yesterday, but at least they are all …Tue Oct 09 2012 - 01:00
Leinster have that bit more in handLeinster 30 Munster 21: THIS WAS a fairly accurate barometer of where both sides are in their evolutionMon Oct 08 2012 - 01:00
Leinster hopeful over injury list as Munster look to regroupRUGBY : LEINSTER WILL hold on to reasonably strong hopes that Rob Kearney and Gordon D’Arcy might yet recover from the back …Mon Oct 08 2012 - 01:00
Provincial matters are key todayRUGBY Leinster v Munster: AS HAS become the norm in recent times, a slow burning start to the rugby season should be set aflame…Sat Oct 06 2012 - 01:00
Munster set the bar for CheikaThe good memories outweigh the bad. And it wasn’t just the trophies or the winsSat Oct 06 2012 - 01:00
Family first as Elwood hands off Connacht positionNEWS: ULTIMATELY, AS was suspected, the passion that drove him threatened to consume him and thus obliged him to walk away from…Thu Oct 04 2012 - 01:00
Documentary shows Connacht passionConnnacht last night held their premiere screening of a fly-on-the-wall documentary The West’s Awake, produced by Kieran Hartigan…Thu Oct 04 2012 - 01:00
Schmidt still seeks a measure of continuityLEINSTER HAVE the chance to make history by becoming the first side to win three Heineken Cups in a row but less than a fortnight…Wed Oct 03 2012 - 01:00
Elwood will leave Connacht with big boots to fillRUGBY: ERIC ELWOOD will today confirm his shock intention to step down at the end of the season as head coach of Connacht, thereby…Wed Oct 03 2012 - 01:00
ERC restate rejection of English TV dealERC’s chief executive Derek McGrath yesterday made it abundantly clear that until such time as Premiership Rugby walk away from…Wed Oct 03 2012 - 01:00
Leinster feel it's time they got on their bikesRUGBY: LEINSTER HAVE been here before and bought the T-shirtTue Oct 02 2012 - 01:00
Leinster can call on reserves of strengthRABO DIRECT PRO12 LEAGUE Connacht v Leinster: IN THE midst of the Galway Oyster Festival and a few other minor sporting events…Fri Sept 28 2012 - 01:00
Season set for nights of intriguing derbiesULSTER BANK LEAGUE: THE ULSTER Bank League resumes for its 23rd campaign this evening and is still not without its flawsFri Sept 28 2012 - 01:00
Kidney looks to get back up the rankingsRUGBY: DECLAN KIDNEY, along with his assistants Les Kiss and Gert Smal, yesterday entered the hardest sell of their tenure as…Wed Sept 26 2012 - 01:00
Seeking to do justice to Nevin's memoryINTERVIEW JOHANN MULLER: THE SHOW MUST go on and there had to come a point when the Ulster squad were not only obliged to play…Wed Sept 26 2012 - 01:00
Time to wrap the green flag around themTHE RUMOUR mill, as ever in Munster and particularly concerning Paul O’Connell, has been in overdrive in recent weeks but the…Tue Sept 25 2012 - 01:00
Leinster working to establish continuity and rhythmLEINSTER MOVE into a pivotal period of their season lacking their familiar rhythm and form, but with little sign of their disruptions…Tue Sept 25 2012 - 01:00
Ready to step it up as Lions loom on the horizonRABODIRECT PRO 12: Munster scrumhalf Conor Murray is intent on backing his own abilities this season as he freely admits he …Sat Sept 22 2012 - 01:00
Stakes set to rise at Rome meetingOPENING HANDS were placed on the table in what is liable to be a long drawn out game of poker, but many of the bluffs and counter…Wed Sept 19 2012 - 01:00
