No guarantees, but Leinster look here to stayON RUGBY: “Were it not for Leinster and Munster being drawn away in last season’s semis, who knows, we could now be talking …Tue May 24 2011 - 01:00
Draw to take place on June 7thHEINEKEN CUP: THE DRAW for the pool stages of the 2011-12 Heineken Cup will take place on Tuesday, June 7th, at Twickenham Stadium…Tue May 24 2011 - 01:00
Leinster's epic continental shiftRUGBY: AS THE ecstatic Leinster players began cavorting and celebrating, and their fans simply went nuts, Seán O’Brien threw…Mon May 23 2011 - 01:00
IRFU are the big winners in cashRUGBY: FOR LEINSTER, the spin-offs of their second Heineken Cup triumph in three years are unquantifiable, both for the brand…Mon May 23 2011 - 01:00
Schmidt expects centre to take stageRUGBY HEINEKEN CUP FINAL: NO MAN is irreplaceable but some are more replaceable than othersFri May 20 2011 - 01:00
Nacewa, Heaslip and O'Brien up for top awardRUGBY: THREE LEINSTER players have been nominated as part of the five-man shortlist from which the inaugural ERC: European Player…Mon May 16 2011 - 01:00
McGahan juggles resources for Ospreys gameRUGBY: ASIDE from being two teams who don’t particularly like each other these are also two teams in transition – though given…Sat May 14 2011 - 01:00
McGahan has a nice selection headacheRUGBY: MUNSTER v OSPREYS SUCH HAS been the manner in which the tyros have stated their case in recent months that Tony McGahan…Thu May 12 2011 - 01:00
McGahan job not on the line at MunsterREGARDLESS OF the outcome to Munster’s Magners League semi-final against the Ospreys on Saturday, or a potential final at home…Wed May 11 2011 - 01:00
Leinster and Munster remain as top seedsRUGBY: LEINSTER AND Munster will again be top seeds in the draw for next season’s Heineken Cup, and Ulster will also remain …Tue May 10 2011 - 01:00
Nacewa is first overseas player for top honourIRUPA AWARDS: ISA NACEWA joined a select group of just seven players to win the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Rugby Union Players Association…Thu May 05 2011 - 01:00
Rugby provides an exercise on how to play the gameON RUGBY: The contrast between the recent antics in the Santiago Bernabéu with the behaviour in Limerick and Dublin was telling…Tue May 03 2011 - 01:00
Blues take a heavyweight boutLeinster 32 Toulouse 23: GAME OF the season duly deliveredMon May 02 2011 - 01:00
Now just one more - big - hurdleRUGBY HEINEKEN CUP FINAL Leinster v Northampton: ONE TO go. Almost thereMon May 02 2011 - 01:00
A year on, prospects good for a Blue DayRUGBY: REACHING THE Holy Grail once is all fine and dandy, but to become a genuine European superpower Leinster desperately …Sat Apr 30 2011 - 01:00
Familiarity breeds respect for SchmidtRUGBY: MINDFUL THAT 20 other teams would envy Leinster’s position, the excitement, good humour and fear in Joe Schmidt’s voice…Fri Apr 29 2011 - 01:00
Nacewa, Earls and O'Brien on listIRUPA AWARDS: KEITH EARLS, Seán O’Brien and Isa Nacewa have been short-listed for the Bord Gáis Energy Irupa Players’ Player…Thu Apr 21 2011 - 01:00
Cardiff can put cat among pigeonsMAGNERS LEAGUE: LEINSTER, ULSTER and the Ospreys will await with keen interest the outcome of Cardiff’s final home game in the…Thu Apr 21 2011 - 01:00
Stade Toulousain ready to hit their strideON RUGBY: AS LEINSTER discovered in their 14-year quest for the mountain top, which was reached with back-to-back wins over …Tue Apr 19 2011 - 01:00
Schmidt has mind on home semi-finalRUGBY: COMING A week before their Heineken Cup semi-final against Toulouse at the Aviva, next Saturday’s penultimate Magners…Mon Apr 18 2011 - 01:00
Refreshed Leinster trample flat UlsterMAGNERS LEAGUE: Leinster 34 Ulster 26: THE FEELING lurked that Leinster would be revived and refreshed by seven changes to their…Mon Apr 18 2011 - 01:00
Much-changed Leinster still have edge in this encounterRUGBY: Leinster v Ulster NO REST for the victors or the vanquishedSat Apr 16 2011 - 01:00
Schmidt concedes Leinster are vulnerableRUGBY: IDEALLY, LEINSTER want to be playing four knock-out games in the last five weeks of their season, culminating in the …Fri Apr 15 2011 - 01:00
Leinster welcome Toulouse to DublinRUGBY: THE CREAM invariably comes to the top at the business end of the Heineken Cup and, after overcoming the two-time European…Mon Apr 11 2011 - 01:00
If Leinster get motoring, front and back, they'll be awayRUGBY: QUARTER-FINAL weekend in the Heineken Cup, the best competition in Europe: no better weekend in the calendarSat Apr 09 2011 - 01:00
Leicester are not without their flaws defensivelyON RUGBY: THE SIX Nations had better be carefulTue Apr 05 2011 - 01:00
O'Connell now faces anxious waitRUGBY : PAUL O’CONNELL and Munster received mildly encouraging news yesterday when an X-ray at Limerick Regional Hospital established…Mon Apr 04 2011 - 01:00
Avenging Munster may just shade itLIGHTS, CAMERAS and the action part is guaranteedSat Apr 02 2011 - 01:00
When they're good, they really are the bestON RUGBY: England will regroup, France are stuck with Lièvremont, Wales aren’t as good as they think, Scotland and Italy still…Tue Mar 22 2011 - 00:00
Kidney waiting for lot of pennies to dropRUGBY: IN CONTRAST to the relatively relaxed and forthcoming Martin Johnson as he contemplated the challenge of winning a Grand…Sat Mar 19 2011 - 00:00
Fortress needs new keystoneSIX NATIONS: A POWERFUL spur for both Wales and Italy last week was the underlying motivation that they simply owed their supporters…Thu Mar 17 2011 - 00:00
Try illegal on three countsFOR THE fateful quick throw by Matthew Rees to Mike Phillips for Wales’ match-winning try on Saturday, not only is it quite clear…Mon Mar 14 2011 - 00:00
Bright start but Ireland lose wayRUGBY/Wales 19 Ireland 13: THIS WAS taking one-that-got-away to ridiculous levelsMon Mar 14 2011 - 00:00
O'Driscoll focuses on the positivesRUGBY: SUCCESS, AND with it raised expectation levels, can have their disadvantages too – Grand Slams in first campaigns under…Wed Mar 09 2011 - 00:00
Both sides intent on putting best attacking feet forwardRUGBY: NO CHANGES for Ireland, but two significant ones for Wales; the net effect being that both sides seem intent on putting…Wed Mar 09 2011 - 00:00
Elwood gets new recruit from UlsterRUGBY: TRAFFIC BETWEEN provinces is becoming more commonplace and the trend continued yesterday when Connacht confirmed Ulster…Tue Mar 08 2011 - 00:00
Putting the lessons into practiceINTERVIEW DAVID WALLACE: PAST THE mid-way point and with a weekend’s respite before the final two rounds is a good time to take…Sat Mar 05 2011 - 00:00
Kidney always keeps it in perspectiveRUGBY: THREE GAMES in, Ireland find themselves having beaten the bottom two away and lost at home to France, thereby leaving…Fri Mar 04 2011 - 00:00
Munster decide to reduce ticket pricesMAGNERS LEAGUE: IN RECOGNITION of the economic climate, Munster have made “significant reductions” in their ticket prices for…Wed Mar 02 2011 - 00:00
From being in full control to a nervy finishScotland 18 Ireland 21: PHEW AGAINMon Feb 28 2011 - 00:00
Watching this Ireland is not good for youRUGBY: THIS IRISH rugby team is not good for you, especially when it comes to Murrayfield; this latest Edinburgh escapade adhering…Mon Feb 28 2011 - 00:00
Ireland must earn the right to playRUGBY: EDINBURGH CASTLE and the other landmarks of this charming city were resplendent in winter sunshine yesterday, but tomorrow…Sat Feb 26 2011 - 00:00
O'Driscoll dismisses Gaffney's theorySIX NATIONS SCOTLAND v IRELAND : IT HARDLY counts as dissension in the ranks, but no sooner had on-field communication been …Thu Feb 24 2011 - 00:00
BJ Botha set to join MunsterNEWS ROUND-UP: BJ BOTHA is set to join Munster on a two-year contract from next seasonThu Feb 24 2011 - 00:00
Robinson opts for radical overhaulAS PART of a rallying call to “restore pride” in the Scottish jersey, Andy Robinson has pretty much overhauled the outfit which…Thu Feb 24 2011 - 00:00
Gaffney pinpoints some basic failingsSIX NATIONS SCOTLAND v IRELAND: THE IRELAND backs’ coach, Alan Gaffney, yesterday admitted there is an anxiousness and a lack…Wed Feb 23 2011 - 00:00
O'Gara likely to start against ScotlandWITH PETER Stringer added to the Ireland squad, in part because of ongoing concerns over Tomás O’Leary’s back problems, and Ronan…Wed Feb 23 2011 - 00:00
