Disrupted preparation a factor in defeatsOn Rugby: When the dust had settled on an extraordinary, unpredictable third round of matches in the Heineken European Cup, …Tue Jan 13 2004 - 00:00
Win would shed light on Munster's seasonGloucester v Munster: A heavyweight Anglo-Irish affair and match of the weekend, today's first of pivotal back-to-back meetings…Sat Jan 10 2004 - 00:00
Facing into a year full of critical decisionsOn Rugby: Perhaps it was inevitable that, after a four-year World Cup cycle, Irish rugby would enter a period of relative flux…Tue Dec 30 2003 - 00:00
A good year, yes, but bar set a bit lowRugby: Speaking at the recent Philips Manager of the Year lunch, the February winner Eddie O'Sullivan repeated his assertion…Mon Dec 29 2003 - 00:00
Wake-up call as Irish pair miss two-day campRUGBY: Malcolm O'Kelly and Anthony Horgan have been omitted from an Ireland two-day training camp at Citywest on December 29th…Tue Dec 23 2003 - 00:00
Another tough nut to crackRugby Challenge Cup: Gerry Thornley talks to Connacht coach Michael Bradley ahead of the next leg of their European odyssey …Tue Dec 16 2003 - 00:00
Munster to go against normEuropean Cup Preview: It may be another Saturday afternoon in the run-up to Christmas, it may even be relatively unheralded …Sat Dec 13 2003 - 00:00
Wisdom of Solomons in huge demand against French elitesUlster v Stade Francais Ravenhill European Cup: Ulster coach Alan Solomons will hook up with his long-time friend, sometime …Fri Dec 12 2003 - 00:00
Standing tall Down UnderRUGBY/World Cup Team of the tournament: Gerry Thornley takes a look at the best players from the World Cup and selects his World…Tue Nov 25 2003 - 00:00
2003 World Cup Highs and LowsThe lowlights 1 Australia 142, Namibia 0 Now, dear Aussies, that really was the ultimate in boring.Mon Nov 24 2003 - 00:00
South African dates setThe South African Rugby Football Union have confirmed the dates for Ireland's two-test series next summer.Sat Nov 22 2003 - 00:00
Cool operator back in from the coldIt's hard to credit the flak which has been heaped upon George Gregan up until last week's redemptive semi-final victory for …Fri Nov 21 2003 - 00:00
All Blacks under familiar cloud at homeReaction: Passing an expressionless John Mitchell moments after the first half had ended on Saturday, the thought occurred that…Mon Nov 17 2003 - 00:00
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
Once more with feelingThere's something wrong with England. Nobody can quite put their finger on itSat 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
