IRFU hold firm on Italy gameThe Irish selectors will meet next Tuesday or Wednesday to finalise the team to play Italy in Bologna on December 20th, carrying…Sat Dec 06 1997 - 00:00
All Blacks to settle scoresRugby's autumnal war of the worlds comes to a conclusion today and on the eve of another potentially momentous black and white…Sat Dec 06 1997 - 00:00
Clinch steps down at LansdowneScarcely one game into this season's campaign and already the AIB League has seen its first coaching casualtyWed Dec 03 1997 - 00:00
Give and take time over fixturesOn then, to December 20th and the meeting with ItalyTue Dec 02 1997 - 00:00
Good day at office for IrishA first rung up a long ladder, the first step being the win itselfMon Dec 01 1997 - 00:00
Ashton points to the mental mistakesThe demeanour of Brian Ashton and an unusually quiet Pat Whelan in a relatively low-key press conference probably reflected the…Mon Dec 01 1997 - 00:00
Time to start winningPerversely almost, the pressure is on the Irish team when they play Canada at Lansdowne Road tomorrow (1Sat Nov 29 1997 - 00:00
Fixture clash for London IrishAnother potentially nasty stand-off is brewing between the IRFU and London Irish over the availability of the Sunbury club's …Sat Nov 29 1997 - 00:00
Miller a major doubtEric Miller remains a major doubt for Ireland in advance of their clash with Canada on SundayFri Nov 28 1997 - 00:00
Canada to provide good test for IrelandCanada will throw everything in their locker at Ireland on Sunday after their Cork-born coach Pat Parfrey announced a full-strength…Fri Nov 28 1997 - 00:00
A solid but laboured Irish display sufficesThere have been worse Irish A performances but there have been better ones tooThu Nov 27 1997 - 00:00
Popplewell captain as Wood withdrawsNot unexpectedly, Ireland have suffered a significant setback in the build-up to Sunday's international against Canada at Lansdowne…Wed Nov 26 1997 - 00:00
Ireland boldly go for blend of tried and untestedThe Irish A team take a step into the relative unknown against the touring Canadians at Ravenhill tonight in what should be a…Wed Nov 26 1997 - 00:00
St Mary's look like genuine title contendersAlthough the scoreline wasn't a million miles away from the classic, 83-pointer these expansively-minded sides put together last…Mon Nov 24 1997 - 00:00
Bell to miss A gameJonathan Bell is out of the Ireland A team to play the Canadians in Ravenhill on Wednesday nightMon Nov 24 1997 - 00:00
Garryowen happy with points sharedAs draws go, this one at Dooradoyle yesterday couldn't have been fairerMon Nov 24 1997 - 00:00
Erskine and Maggs stay inJust as in the political spectrum, it seems genuine left-wingers are no longer flavour of the month in the higher echelons of…Sat Nov 22 1997 - 00:00
St Mary's and Blackrock finely primedA re-enactment of their memorable 83-point jaunt last season when St Mary's host Blackrock at Templeville Road this afternoon…Sat Nov 22 1997 - 00:00
Play-offs will spice up the leagueIt may be ill-timed, ill-equipped as a feeder to the national team, ill-conceived in its long-term objectives, even ill-matched…Sat Nov 22 1997 - 00:00
New men will get another chanceDespite a record home defeat, the Irish selectors are unlikely to make drastic changes from the team beaten 63-15 by New Zealand…Fri Nov 21 1997 - 00:00
St Mary's line up their big gunsAs expected, four of the Irish backs who were exposed to the mighty All Blacks last Saturday will experience the other end of…Wed Nov 19 1997 - 00:00
Learning from the best in the worldSome people believe Ireland shouldn't be on the same pitch as the All Blacks. They think the contest is all overTue Nov 18 1997 - 00:00
Lansdowne to play new pairLansdowne will be without captain Kurt McQuilkin for the re-arranged AIB League, first division opener at Lansdowne Road tomorrow…Tue Nov 18 1997 - 00:00
Change of structure essentialYou could almost reach out and touch the resigned Lansdowne Road airMon Nov 17 1997 - 00:00
Knock on Wood is selectors' main worryWounded souls apart, the physical damage to Keith Wood's ankle ligaments is the primary concern for the Irish management in the…Mon Nov 17 1997 - 00:00
Brilliance of the All Blacks will dazzle determined IrishLegends in our midst and all that. The first All Blacks to tour these islands, in 1905, were called The OriginalsSat Nov 15 1997 - 00:00
Ireland's mood a bit more positiveThe preparations wound down, the phoney war continued (proof of which was a minor red herring about banning the Haka which will…Fri Nov 14 1997 - 00:00
Haka lifts friend and foeOutlaw the haka? You could have slapped John Hart in the face with a wet fishFri Nov 14 1997 - 00:00
Squad set new goals as reality bites hardIn times past, Irish rugby stood indicted for suffering from delusions of grandeur. Not this week. This week, reality dawnsWed Nov 12 1997 - 00:00
Living up to the role of the Men in BlackThere's a saying in the Land of the Long White Cloud that being the All Blacks' coach is a more difficult job than being New …Wed Nov 12 1997 - 00:00
Mehrtens v Spencer a game of outhalvesWhat's really frightening about the current All Blacks is the inability of some awesome players to make the Test teamTue Nov 11 1997 - 00:00
Gatland has Connacht brotherhood primedOn Tuesday, September 16th, Connacht had a training session in BordeauxSat Nov 08 1997 - 00:00
Novel idea to reward players in formThere are a few ways of looking at this decidedly new-look Ireland teamTue Nov 04 1997 - 00:00
Weary London Irish fail to maintain heroicsLondon Irish couldn't scale the heights of the previous week and in that this could almost be dismissed as an all too predictable…Mon Nov 03 1997 - 00:00
Nowlan is one of five new facesIt says something about both the new broom and the injury jinx which is sweeping through the Irish rugby team that the selection…Mon Nov 03 1997 - 00:00
More fiery tackling can crack NewcastleEnglish champions one week, unbeaten league leaders the nextSat Nov 01 1997 - 00:00
Side to face All Blacks looks settledAs revelations from the Irish management go, it's about the biggest thus far: they will decide today whether to announce next…Thu Oct 30 1997 - 00:00
Transfers to Sunbury would be good for allThere's a feeling about in Irish rugby that somehow London Irish are the enemy abroadTue Oct 28 1997 - 00:00
Irish swarm all over Wasps in thrilling winIt was a good day to be Irish in London yesterday, especially in that little corner called Sunbury which will be forever Irish…Mon Oct 27 1997 - 00:00
Wasps vulnerable at SunburySuch is the nature of the Irish psyche that the anti-climactic London Irish display against Gloucester last week was almost inevitable…Sat Oct 25 1997 - 01:00
Davidson injury rules him out for seasonAs expected, Jeremy Davidson's worst fears were confirmed yesterday when the keyhole surgery performed on his left knee revealed…Sat Oct 25 1997 - 01:00
Outlook bleak for DavidsonThe Irish management will not divulge any decision to award some additional, full-time contracts for national squad members until…Fri Oct 24 1997 - 01:00
Davidson is ruled out until next yearJeremy Davidson has been sidelined until next yearThu Oct 23 1997 - 01:00
