The big kick-offBearing in mind that half the pack which was blitzed by the Springboks' midweek side at Ravenhill on Tuesday came from the undisputed…Sat Dec 05 1998 - 00:00
Dispute over tour detailsAustralian rugby officials rather jumped the gun yesterday by disclosing details of Ireland's tour down under next summer without…Fri Dec 04 1998 - 00:00
A Welsh legend for AILFormer Welsh out-half and Great Britain rugby league star Jonathon Davies has signed for Old BelvedereThu Dec 03 1998 - 00:00
A team out of their depthThey came, they saw, they conquered; not once, not twice, but three times. Simple as that reallyWed Dec 02 1998 - 00:00
Things definitely getting betterVerification of Ireland's praiseworthy effort against the Springboks came by way of a phone call from the England assistant coach…Tue Dec 01 1998 - 00:00
Seconds up and out to impressThe midweek Springboks side are probably good enough to give any senior Five Nations side a run for their money, but at least…Tue Dec 01 1998 - 00:00
No gain but no shame for IrishThere may have been a nagging suspicion that Ireland could have extended the Springboks further, but there was no shame in defeat…Mon Nov 30 1998 - 00:00
Improving Irish approaching the gain lineSoon after the sides' third meeting in six months, South African coach Nick Mallett went into the Irish dressingroom and said…Mon Nov 30 1998 - 00:00
Chemistry right for explosive third encounterThe grudge factor, like it or not; the world champions seeking to equal a world record; a wounded and derided Irish side in classic…Sat Nov 28 1998 - 00:00
Gatland refuses to talk `damage limitation'So often it happens. A sporting encounter is built up as the mother of all grudge matches, but the potentially explosive match…Fri Nov 27 1998 - 00:00
Ireland not taking any backward stepsNeither Ireland nor the Springboks had a bundle of surprises in store yesterday when they announced their line-ups for Saturday…Thu Nov 26 1998 - 00:00
Visitors made to work by solid ProvincesWhatever about the discrepancy between the respective first strings, once it becomes a test of second strings or lower then there…Wed Nov 25 1998 - 00:00
Dempsey set to get Test placeGirvan Dempsey, the accomplished 22-year-old who has enjoyed a near faultless year as a converted leftwinger with Leinster, looks…Wed Nov 25 1998 - 00:00
Ireland's chance to beat the bestA former Irish international who had toured South Africa always reckoned that an outsider would be a success as a coach in that…Tue Nov 24 1998 - 00:00
Dirt-trackers ready to renew acquaintancesThe so-called dirt-trackers kick-off South Africa's three-match Irish leg of their European tour against the Combined Provinces…Tue Nov 24 1998 - 00:00
Gatland finds a use for lax gameReggie Corrigan and David Corkery were yesterday pulled out of the Combined Provinces team to play South Africa in Musgrave Park…Mon Nov 23 1998 - 00:00
Irish need professional performanceIn a curious way, this afternoon's academic World Cup qualifier against Romania will ask more of Ireland's self-motivational …Sat Nov 21 1998 - 00:00
Priceless jewel in the Ulster crownBefore Ulster games, in his new role as Ulster captain, David Humphreys would privately cajole Andy WardSat Nov 21 1998 - 00:00
IRFU reprimand TierneyTom Tierney, the Garryowen, Munster and Irish under-21 scrum-half, has been reprimanded by the IRFU for the use of the prohibited…Fri Nov 20 1998 - 00:00
Gatland is hoping for improvementCompulsory attendance at Wednesday night's Romania-Georgia game didn't exactly rank with an Irish squad night out at the movies…Fri Nov 20 1998 - 00:00
Having arrived Scally plans to stick aroundHe's barely 20, has won two Leinster Schools' Senior Cup medals and numbers a Triple Crown and victory in Australia amongst his…Thu Nov 19 1998 - 00:00
Clarke keeps Wood on benchGiven a choice between having one eye on the South African test a week later, or treating the two World Cup qualifying matches…Thu Nov 19 1998 - 00:00
Elwood's need for matches a priorityAs a motif it could be inscribed on his coaching tracksuitTue Nov 17 1998 - 00:00
Facile victory nevertheless worthwhileFacile yes, but not entirely futile. If nothing else, caps, tries and win bonuses were accumulated with easeMon Nov 16 1998 - 00:00
Wood may have to wait before making returnAlthough hamstring strains are notoriously slow healers, the Irish management and medical team remained optimistic yesterday …Mon Nov 16 1998 - 00:00
Opportunity to broaden horizonsIt may not be the most salubrious of pairings. It may not have them swinging from the raftersSat Nov 14 1998 - 00:00
New dawn for Georgian rugbyDuring the communist regime, rugby in Georgia was considered a sport of the bourgeois and so was bannedFri Nov 13 1998 - 00:00
Romania travel with weakened squadNot unexpectedly, Romania's squad for the World Cup qualifiers with Ireland and Georgia has been hit by the failure to obtain…Thu Nov 12 1998 - 00:00
Duignan only new kid on the blockThe first selection of the season from Irish coach Warren Gatland, for next Saturday's World Cup qualifier against Georgia, is…Wed Nov 11 1998 - 00:00
New cap continues Connacht carve upThe only blemish on Pat Duignan's first cap was that notice of it came too late to ring his parents back in Australia before …Wed Nov 11 1998 - 00:00
Quinlan unlikely to playThe first Irish selection of the season will be unveiled today in advance of Saturday's opening World Cup qualifier against Georgia…Tue Nov 10 1998 - 00:00
Leinster miss out, not once but twiceDavid Humphreys's claim that Ulster's progress to the European Cup quarter-finals was beyond his team's wildest dreams was understandable…Tue Nov 10 1998 - 00:00
Coulter's try earns home quarter-finalAn astonishing couple of turnarounds in the finale to Pool C over the weekend culminated in the Ulster players returning to the…Mon Nov 09 1998 - 00:00
Ulster snare victory to join Munster in finalsUlster joined Munster in the quarter-finals of the European Cup by virtue of their 23-21 win over Edinburgh Reivers in Myre side…Mon Nov 09 1998 - 00:00
It's all or bust for UlsterThe best of this weekend's fare could be saved until last when Ulster meet Edinburgh Reivers in a reprise of their memorable …Sat Nov 07 1998 - 00:00
Leinster self-destruct againHow to chuck away a 21-point lead in one easy lessonSat Nov 07 1998 - 00:00
Connacht play down remote finals hopesConnacht are facing up to the grim reality of their season ending today, barring a highly unlikely sequence of results in Pool…Sat Nov 07 1998 - 00:00
Munster need momentumTechnically, Munster have the least to play of the four Irish provinces this weekendSat Nov 07 1998 - 00:00
Munster make two changesMunster have made just two changes to the side which accounted for Perpignan last week for tomorrow's European Cup match in Padova…Fri Nov 06 1998 - 00:00
Leinster have it all to doAt about 8.00 tonight the Donnybrook hordes will bid adieu to their Friday nights under lights. What a pityFri Nov 06 1998 - 00:00
Corrigan and Brennan left out of squadA dejected looking Reggie Corrigan and Trevor Brennan were first to emerge from a brief squad meeting yesterday in the Kingsley…Wed Nov 04 1998 - 00:00
Why Wood can only see the treesShortly after the second Test against South Africa Keith Wood approached Warren Gatland, acknowledged that he hadn't had a very…Tue Nov 03 1998 - 00:00
Adamant Wood fails to signThe die had already been cast over the weekend and, as expected, when pens were put to paper and the IRFU international contracts…Tue Nov 03 1998 - 00:00
Spirit and resolve the vital qualitiesThey brought the 1978 vintage from Limerick to Cork and, spiritually, they brought the mountain to Mohammed at Musgrave Park …Mon Nov 02 1998 - 00:00
Trio battle to advanceDespite good home wins for Ulster and Munster over the weekend, results elsewhere in Europe did not go all that favourably for…Mon Nov 02 1998 - 00:00
Wood refuses to give wayThere was little or no sign of a ceasefire, never mind a peace treaty, between a rebellious Keith Wood and a resolute IRFU last…Mon Nov 02 1998 - 00:00
