French temperament may decide in knock-outIn a European context, this meeting of the superpowers simply doesn't come any biggerSat Nov 15 2003 - 00:00
Men in Black should sort this one outRugby World Cup Semi-final preview Australia v New Zealand There's only one game bigger than thisFri Nov 14 2003 - 00:00
Small wonder ready for biggest testPool A Interview with Peter Stringer : Gerry Thornley talks to Ireland's smallest player aboutthe size of Sunday's clashFri Oct 24 2003 - 01:00
O'Driscoll needs his spaceDespite scoring 15 tries in the opening two games, with Geordan Murphy, Rob Henderson and David Wallace all back at home, this…Thu Oct 23 2003 - 01:00
O'Connell and Ireland breathe a sigh of reliefPool A News round-up: The Irish squad - and birthday boy Paul O'Connell in particular - breathed a collective sigh of relief…Tue Oct 21 2003 - 01:00
Dad's Army under constant fire on all frontsGerry Thornley On Rugby: The phoney war, for the most part continues apace. There've been embarrassments along the wayTue Oct 21 2003 - 01:00
Ireland training goes smoothlyIreland trained behind closed doors in waterlogged conditions at their base in the Central Coast Grammar School yesterday and…Tue Oct 14 2003 - 01:00
Coach warns of Wallaby backlashRugby World Cup countdown: Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan fears his team could face a backlash over a seemingly innocuous computer…Thu Oct 02 2003 - 01:00
Stellar figures have squad ready to go extra mileSteeling the resolve: Teams, much like Olympic athletes, are primed to peak every four years and accordingly inspiration is …Fri Sept 26 2003 - 01:00
Injury worries recedeFinal open training session: A rash of injuries having circulated from various corners of the global game this past while, many…Fri Sept 26 2003 - 01:00
Wallace is called into squadPaddy Wallace has been called into the Ireland World Cup squad as a replacement for his injured Ulster team-mate Jonathon Bell…Tue Sept 23 2003 - 01:00
Borders hopes marginalChances of winning actual silverware seldom come along for Connacht and their coach Michael Bradley makes little secret of the…Fri Sept 19 2003 - 01:00
Hayes 'very hopeful' of making it toDespite a frustratingly slow recovery period from the torn calf he sustained in the build-up to the warm-up game against Italy…Fri Sept 19 2003 - 01:00
Lions must sharpen their clawsRUGBY: After back-to-back defeats to start their Celtic League campaign, Leinster will be hopeful they can show more of a cutting…Fri Sept 19 2003 - 01:00
Leinster make seven changesRUGBY/Celtic League: Aidan McCullen will captain Leinster for the first time in his career when the province host the Neath/…Wed Sept 17 2003 - 01:00
Celtic Cup not doing our sides any favoursWhy, oh why, is the Celtic League being suspended after just two rounds of games so the hybrid Celtic Cup can be foisted upon…Tue Sept 16 2003 - 01:00
Ireland drop training fixtureRUGBY: The Irish management have decided not to press ahead with a fixture which had been pencilled in for next Friday in Lansdowne…Tue Sept 16 2003 - 01:00
Ulster under pressure to raise their gameCeltic League/ Ulster v Glasgow: No less than Munster, Ulster play their first home competitive game of the season without their…Fri Sept 12 2003 - 01:00
Igoe the latest to abandon LeinsterNews: Leinster have suffered further disruptions to their back-up staff with the news that their well-regarded video analyst…Fri Sept 12 2003 - 01:00
Ireland's Call to stir up World Cup teamThe IRFU has confirmed that Ireland's Call will be the official "anthem" of the Irish team prior to World Cup matches in Australia…Tue Sept 09 2003 - 01:00
Ireland have wit to avoid ambushRUGBY: Eyes and thoughts have long since started wandering toward the quadrennial global feast in Australia, but for 80 minutes…Sat Sept 06 2003 - 01:00
Sheahan to hear ruling on appeal todayRUGBY : Frankie Sheahan will learn the outcome of his appeal against a two-year suspension imposed by the ERC following a positive…Tue Sept 02 2003 - 01:00
Hickie stamps his authority on ItalyIreland 61 Italy 6 : Neither the 60-40 possession, nor a territorial graph that was slightly less than that, much less a 9-6…Mon Sept 01 2003 - 01:00
Leading again from the centreGerry Thornley finds Ireland's number 13 quite willing to take or leave the captain's roleThu Aug 28 2003 - 01:00
Hayes out of Italy clash Rugby News round-upIreland's injury woes, and especially at tight-head prop, continue to unhinge their World Cup preparationsThu Aug 28 2003 - 01:00
Players go on trial as Ireland make 13 changesRUGBY: With 12 days to go until the cut-off point for Ireland's 30-man World Cup squad, rarely has an Irish team taken the field…Wed Aug 27 2003 - 01:00
Team-mates row in behind SheahanDavid Wallace and Ronan O'Gara have supplemented the groundswell of support building up behind Frankie Sheahan by issuing strongly…Tue Aug 26 2003 - 01:00
Connacht's terminators have not gone awayOn Rugby: At an annual club dinner toward the end of last season, a leading IRFU official played down the apparent resistance…Tue Aug 26 2003 - 01:00
Next lot in get their chance to boost Irish caseNews round-up Opportunity will beckon for a raft of World Cup wannabees when Ireland host Italy at Thomond Park on Saturday …Wed Aug 20 2003 - 01:00
Ireland looking to get basics rightIreland v Wales preview: Mid-August, a heatwave and Ireland playing rugbySat Aug 16 2003 - 01:00
Burke's withdrawal leaves outhalf cover looking bareRUGBY: Paul Burke's withdrawal from the Ireland squad for Saturday's World Cup warm-up game against Wales with a hamstring injury…Tue Aug 12 2003 - 01:00
Appeal date set for SheahanRugby: The date for Frankie Sheahan's appeal against his two-year suspension has been set for Monday, September 1st, in Dublin…Fri Aug 08 2003 - 01:00
Imminent cull gives edge to squad sessionsRugby: Three warm-up Tests and 31 days from now, the cull will be completeThu Aug 07 2003 - 01:00
Different goals for different teamsSOCCER: The scoreline had long since become an irrelevanceWed Jun 25 2003 - 01:00
Bradley's men need bonus of victoryRugby Under-21 World Cup: Such is the narrow margin for error in the Under-21 World Cup that in their second match of the competition…Tue Jun 17 2003 - 01:00
All change at ConnachtNews round-up: The extent of the turnover in personnel at Connacht in the close-season was made apparent yesterday with the …Wed Jun 11 2003 - 01:00
Munster and Gloucester renew rivalryEuropean Cup Draw: The draw for next season's Heineken European Cup provided a strong whiff of déjà vu yesterday which, for…Wed Jun 04 2003 - 01:00
Murphy centre stageIn what would be a radical move, Geordan Murphy is apparently being considered as an alternative for Brian O'Driscoll at outside…Sat May 31 2003 - 01:00
Gatland and Wasps close to summitWarren Gatland stands within one game of perhaps the biggest achievement of his coaching career when Wasps take on Gloucester…Sat May 31 2003 - 01:00
Smyth has hooked up with RotherhamRugby: Peter Smyth, the 25-year-old Leinster hooker, has become the latest to join the exodus of provincial players after agreeing…Sat May 31 2003 - 01:00
Collins survives coupDorothy Collins was re-elected as honorary secretary of the Leinster Branch at their a.g.mFri May 30 2003 - 01:00
Mix-up regrettable - ERC chiefThe ERC chief executive, Derek McGrath, has voiced his regret over the ticketing policy at the gates of Lansdowne Road for last…Fri May 30 2003 - 01:00
Leinster face another riftIn an already discordant month for Leinster rugby, the branch a.g.mWed May 28 2003 - 01:00
Bruiser uses diplomacy on day of vindicationIt was a triumphant day for the ERC, for Toulouse, for Guy Noves and, of course, for Trevor BrennanMon May 26 2003 - 01:00
ERC welcome renewal of sponsorship dealOn the eve of its eighth final, the European Cup received a major boost yesterday when tournament organisers announced Heineken…Sat May 24 2003 - 01:00
Toulouse have cutting edgeEuropean Cup final: Okay, so it has a more Gallic than Gaelic flavour but, heaven's above, a European Cup final is about to …Sat May 24 2003 - 01:00
Toulouse have cutting edgeOkay, so it has a more Gallic than Gaelic flavour but, heaven's above, a European Cup final is about to take place on our doorstep…Sat May 24 2003 - 01:00
Spooner is left with few optionsRUGBY: Proof, if it were needed, that in the professional rugby game the players are ultimately pieces of meat has been vividly…Fri May 23 2003 - 01:00
Latham turns down Munster moveRugby News: A slightly embittered war of words has broken out between Munster coach Alan Gaffney and Chris Latham after the …Wed May 21 2003 - 01:00
O'Driscoll's absence leaves void at the backInternational news: As expected Brian O'Driscoll has been excused duty from the forthcoming tour of Australia, Tonga and Samoa…Wed May 21 2003 - 01:00
