All Blacks out to avenge Black Caps’ Lord’s defeat against EnglandCricket World Cup final ended in a tie but Saturday’s RWC semi less likely to do soTue Oct 22 2019 - 08:02
Gerry Thornley: Long-term planning won't be a luxury for Andy FarrellFor all the talk of building toward 2023, now more than ever rugby is a results businessTue Oct 22 2019 - 05:45
Sam Cane and company have England in their sightsThe battle of the back rows looks likely to be hugely significant in Saturday’s semi-finalTue Oct 22 2019 - 01:00
Ireland poked the All Blacks bear and were made to pay dearlyChastening day for Irish rugby as back-to-back world champions run riotMon Oct 21 2019 - 06:30
Gerry Thornley: Schmidt’s sad final chapter tarnishes his reign but legacy will endureThe win over the All Blacks in 2018 can now be seen for what it is: this side’s Icarus momentMon Oct 21 2019 - 05:00
Major rebuilding job for Ireland looms in aftermath of Rugby World Cup failureError-strewn display against All Blacks a chastening end to an underperforming yearMon Oct 21 2019 - 01:01
Rory Best reaches the end of a long road‘I’m really upset with the thought I’ll never pull on a green jersey again,’ says retiring captainSat Oct 19 2019 - 18:00
Joe Schmidt: ‘Heartbroken wouldn’t be too far away from how I feel right now’‘You tend to carry your scars a lot more than your successes and those scars are deep’Sat Oct 19 2019 - 17:14
Ruthless New Zealand crush Ireland’s Rugby World Cup hopesJoe Schmidt’s tenure comes to an end with error-strewn hammering in TokyoSat Oct 19 2019 - 13:08
Red-letter day for Ryan and Henderson as they face definitive testIn Retallick and Whitelock, Irish pair are facing the best lock pairing in the worldSat Oct 19 2019 - 01:00
Rugby World Cup: Ireland look to defy logic against the All BlacksWorld champions are potent but Schmidt’s side are primed for a one-off performanceFri Oct 18 2019 - 18:00
Rugby World Cup: Joe Schmidt - 'I’ll be frank, I don’t have a specific philosophy'Ireland coach: ‘We will adapt to what we think is going to best suit us and best combat them’Fri Oct 18 2019 - 01:00
Rugby World Cup: Hansen confident All Blacks bench can press home their advantageNew Zealand coach explains his selection for quarter-final against IrelandThu Oct 17 2019 - 21:53
Rugby World Cup: Kearney and O’Mahony start for Ireland against New ZealandJoe Schmidt’s XV for quarter-final clash in Tokyo is along expected linesThu Oct 17 2019 - 08:00
Brodie Retallick returns for New Zealand ahead of Ireland clashRugby World Cup: Steve Hansen has named probably his strongest side for quarter-finalThu Oct 17 2019 - 06:19
Rugby World Cup: Wise old Earls has learned to channel nervous energy‘My wife thought I was going to have a heart attack with the state I was in’Thu Oct 17 2019 - 01:00
Ireland and New Zealand welcome appointment of OwensWelsh referee well accustomed to the demands of the big occasionWed Oct 16 2019 - 06:00
Easterby says Ireland must be at their best to push New Zealand all the wayForwards’ coach believes Ireland’s record shows they are capable of standing toe-to-toeWed Oct 16 2019 - 01:00
All Blacks keeping ranks closed ahead of Ireland showdownRugby World Cup: Attack coach Ian Foster was not giving much away on TuesdayTue Oct 15 2019 - 10:11
Gerry Thornley: Japan v Scotland was a magnificent irrelevanceDecision to go ahead despite typhoon vindicated by uplifting performance from hostsTue Oct 15 2019 - 07:00
Johnny Sexton: ‘We can create something a little bit special’It’s not stretching things to say that this is the biggest game of Sexton’s careerTue Oct 15 2019 - 01:00
Johnny Sexton recalls first trip to Japan as a 16-year-old rookieIreland outhalf and analyst Vinny Hammond went with St Mary's College teamTue Oct 15 2019 - 01:00
Johnny Sexton: being clinical is key if Ireland are to beat All BlacksOuthalf insists side are ‘exactly where they want to be’ ahead of huge quarter-finalMon Oct 14 2019 - 08:21
The All Blacks now stand between Ireland and semi-final historySamoa performance ensures Ireland head to Tokyo with a renewed spring in their stepMon Oct 14 2019 - 06:23
Rugby World Cup: Sympathy all round for Bundee Aki as he prepares to learn his fateSamoa’s Tim Nanai-Williams, who grew up with Aki, backs Ireland’s centre after redMon Oct 14 2019 - 06:00
Rugby World Cup: Larmour runs free as Ireland find their the groove against SamoaPack lays brilliant platform as Joe Schmidt’s side get the accuracy back in bonus-point winMon Oct 14 2019 - 06:00
Bundee Aki disciplinary hearing to be held in Tokyo on MondayAndy Farrell reluctant to be drawn on matter after Ireland centre sent off in Samoa victorySun Oct 13 2019 - 09:16
Joe Schmidt admits Bundee Aki’s Rugby World Cup could be overIreland coach knows potential All Blacks last eight clash represents ‘a mountain to climb’Sat Oct 12 2019 - 16:15
Improved Ireland qualify for Rugby World Cup quarter-finalsJohnny Sexton to the fore as Ireland ease past Samoa despite Bundee Aki red cardSat Oct 12 2019 - 14:40
Rugby World Cup: There’s no avoiding the All Blacks but the later the betterSpringboks would have offered offer a different challenge, although one with more opportunitiesSat Oct 12 2019 - 06:00
Rugby World Cup: Steve Jackson knows the frustration of being Samoa’s coach‘I think there’s about 67 if the eligibility and things like that changed’Fri Oct 11 2019 - 20:17
Rugby World Cup: Surface tension adds to uncontrollables as Ireland target Samoa winIreland may need to win ugly and hope physical cost is not too high in FukuokaFri Oct 11 2019 - 19:27
If Ireland survive Samoa storm, All Black clouds roll in fastRugby World Cup: odds against Ireland advancing further are lengtheningFri Oct 11 2019 - 01:00
Gerry Thornley: World Rugby had no Plan B as tournament is blown off courseIf any country on the planet could relocate or defer big games it is surely JapanThu Oct 10 2019 - 12:05
Rugby World Cup: Murray and Sexton to equal Irish halfback record against SamoaDuo will play 55th Test together as Joe Schmidt makes 11 changes for Pool A finaleThu Oct 10 2019 - 08:00
Rugby World Cup: Furlong says Ireland need to ‘knuckle down’ ahead of Samoa clash‘It feels like it’s very, very nearly there but probably just hasn’t clicked yet,’ says Leinster manThu Oct 10 2019 - 01:00
Stockdale suitably refreshed and rarin’ to go against SamoaHis strike rate in terms of tries has dried up a little but Ulster winger remains a potent threat for IrelandWed Oct 09 2019 - 01:01
Easterby confident Ireland can still make their mark in JapanForwards coach says squad can regain real momentum with a good display against SamoaWed Oct 09 2019 - 01:00
Rugby World Cup: Typhoon fears eased as Ireland prep for SamoaStorm Hagibis likely to miss Fukuoka while Ireland squad is nearly back to full healthTue Oct 08 2019 - 11:29
Rugby World Cup: Andy Farrell’s mini tutorial on the art of tackling safelyRed cards have been a dominant theme at tournament with five shown already in JapanTue Oct 08 2019 - 04:02
Gerry Thornley: Storm brewing as Samoa bid to take anger out on IrelandGluey slugfest with bristling Pacific Islanders is the last thing Joe Schmidt’s side needMon Oct 07 2019 - 15:15
All still to play for in Pool A as Scotland bid to spoil Japan’s partyA win of any kind over Samoa would be highly likely to ensure Ireland’s qualificationMon Oct 07 2019 - 06:00
Hungry Henshaw eager to hit the ground runningCentre ready to make a belated World Cup start in Ireland’s game against SamoaMon Oct 07 2019 - 05:00
Letter from Japan: Ireland fans here to party – whatever the resultUbiquitous use of plastic bags strange in an extraordinarily tidy countrySat Oct 05 2019 - 06:00
Gerry Thornley: Anxious Ireland appear to be trying too hardMomentum Schmidt would have hoped for at this point in a World Cup is absentSat Oct 05 2019 - 06:00
Rory Best admits Ireland are not at the level they expectedIreland captain believes any resurgence in form has to be driven by both coaches and playersSat Oct 05 2019 - 05:00
Change in the weather could be the boost Ireland needSchmidt hoping for cooler conditions against Samoa as squad take stock of injuriesFri Oct 04 2019 - 06:00
Rugby World Cup: Ireland fail to find performance they were looking forBonus point safely secured but sloppy second half merely adds to growing misgivingsFri Oct 04 2019 - 06:00
Joe Schmidt looks on the bright side despite errors in Russia winIreland coach says maul could have worked better but reiterates conditions were toughThu Oct 03 2019 - 17:49
Rugby World Cup: Ireland backrow faces further blow with Jordi Murphy injuryMurphy called in to replace Jack Conan but came off in first half with rib injuryThu Oct 03 2019 - 15:52
