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Gerry Thornley: All Blacks starting Beauden Barrett at outhalf brings intrigue

Gerry Thornley: All Blacks starting Beauden Barrett at outhalf brings intrigue

Irish eyes will be trailed firmly on the events at Twickenham

By Gerry ThornleyFri Nov 01 2024 - 17:46

Gerry Thornley: Fans voting with their feet as Leinster stay on the front foot

Gerry Thornley: Fans voting with their feet as Leinster stay on the front foot

The comfort of the Aviva Stadium and strong early-season selections have piqued the interest of supporters

By Gerry ThornleyFri Oct 25 2024 - 17:51

Gerry Thornley: Anthony Foley’s spirit lives on eight years after his untimely death

Gerry Thornley: Anthony Foley’s spirit lives on eight years after his untimely death

The larger-than-life number eight was at the core of the Irish rugby renaissance

By Gerry ThornleyFri Oct 18 2024 - 15:48

Painting RG Snyman into the role of villain is plain daft

Painting RG Snyman into the role of villain is plain daft

Rarely can the presence of one player have prompted so much intrigue in the rich history of Leinster v Munster battles

By Gerry ThornleyFri Oct 11 2024 - 16:42

Some Australians greet Joe Schmidt’s box-kicking approach like an invasive species

Some Australians greet Joe Schmidt’s box-kicking approach like an invasive species

Former Wallaby international Matt Toomua wasn’t happy with the amount of kicking from scrumhalf in victory over Wales

By Nathan JohnsFri Jul 12 2024 - 16:18

Ireland’s last encounter against South Africa at Loftus Versfeld descended into violence

Ireland’s last encounter against South Africa at Loftus Versfeld descended into violence

Pretoria ground’s status as a graveyard for Ireland’s ambitions has remained largely intact since that infamous 1998 game

By Nathan JohnsFri Jul 05 2024 - 16:39

Gerry Thornley: Once again the Champions Cup final rescues the tournament

Gerry Thornley: Once again the Champions Cup final rescues the tournament

Teams such as the Bulls fielding weakened sides has harmed competitive balance while the jury is still out on South Africa’s participation

By Gerry ThornleyFri May 24 2024 - 17:05

Gerry Thornley: Giving the Aviva Stadium to Uefa for five weeks is patently ridiculous

Gerry Thornley: Giving the Aviva Stadium to Uefa for five weeks is patently ridiculous

As rugby competes with concert season - not to mind the Europa League final - the sport is battling to hold onto its own venues

By Gerry ThornleyFri May 17 2024 - 19:44

Gerry Thornley: Fans in Croke Park next weekend will be there for the rugby, nothing else

Gerry Thornley: Fans in Croke Park next weekend will be there for the rugby, nothing else

Sold out Croke Park unlikely to field company clients and day-trippers to the same extent as Six Nations clashes at the Aviva

By Gerry ThornleyFri Apr 26 2024 - 18:30

Gerry Thornley: Munster’s coffers would benefit from a rare home knockout tie

Gerry Thornley: Munster’s coffers would benefit from a rare home knockout tie

Province hasn’t hosted a playoff game in Thomond Park in either the URC or Champions Cup since the European tie two seasons ago against Exeter

By Gerry ThornleyFri Apr 19 2024 - 18:59

Gerry Thornley: Champions Cup quarter-finals tend to produce best rugby and drama

Gerry Thornley: Champions Cup quarter-finals tend to produce best rugby and drama

Leinster-La Rochelle looking like most competitive game, with home teams heavy favourites

By Gerry ThornleyFri Apr 12 2024 - 16:08

Gerry Thornley: Results can often defy logic in the Champions Cup

Gerry Thornley: Results can often defy logic in the Champions Cup

Up-and-down form guides make forecasting this weekend’s eight ties fiendishly difficult

By Gerry ThornleyFri Apr 05 2024 - 19:35

Gerry Thornley: Man management is key for Leinster after long season for Irish players

Gerry Thornley: Man management is key for Leinster after long season for Irish players

We should never forget or underplay how much a World Cup campaign takes out of players

By Gerry ThornleyFri Mar 22 2024 - 18:32

Gerry Thornley: Six Nations organisers hope to avoid nightmare end scenario

Gerry Thornley: Six Nations organisers hope to avoid nightmare end scenario

Ireland could lose to Scotland and win the championship with losing bonus point

By Gerry ThornleyFri Mar 15 2024 - 15:07

Gerry Thornley: Irish stars set to follow in footsteps of Mike Gibson

Gerry Thornley: Irish stars set to follow in footsteps of Mike Gibson

At Twickenham tomorrow Ireland could equal that run of five successive wins over the auld enemy

By Gerry ThornleyFri Mar 08 2024 - 17:19

Gerry Thornley: France’s decline has damaged the Six Nations spectacle

Gerry Thornley: France’s decline has damaged the Six Nations spectacle

The joie de vivre the French club players have been playing has been replaced by joylessness for the national team

By Gerry ThornleyFri Mar 01 2024 - 16:10

Gerry Thornley: Confident Gatland comes to Dublin ‘with belief, not hope’

Gerry Thornley: Confident Gatland comes to Dublin ‘with belief, not hope’

Never shy of stoking a few pre-match embers, the Wales coach has pointedly referenced Ireland’s World Cup quarter-final defeat to the All Blacks

By Gerry ThornleyFri Feb 23 2024 - 17:26

Gerry Thornley: Sport is inconsistent, so referee decisions will be too

Gerry Thornley: Sport is inconsistent, so referee decisions will be too

By reducing TMO’s scope to overturn an onfield decision, reviews can fly in the face of technology

By Gerry ThornleyFri Feb 16 2024 - 17:21

Gerry Thornley: Top 14 and All-Ireland League have chance to shine outside of Six Nations

Gerry Thornley: Top 14 and All-Ireland League have chance to shine outside of Six Nations

Full houses across France last weekend could give the URC pause for thought about postponing matches during the tournament

By Gerry ThornleyFri Feb 09 2024 - 18:28

Gerry Thornley: From the Algarve to France, it’s hard to ignore the World Cup memories

Gerry Thornley: From the Algarve to France, it’s hard to ignore the World Cup memories

It was a familiar week for Ireland with a pre-tournament training camp in the Algarve followed by a trip to Marseille

By Gerry ThornleyFri Feb 02 2024 - 09:20

Who is Maxime Lucu, the man set to replace Antoine Dupont?

Who is Maxime Lucu, the man set to replace Antoine Dupont?

‘It will be different with Maxime, I don’t think he will try and be Dupont, he will play his own game but he does have some similar strengths’

By Nathan JohnsMon Jan 29 2024 - 16:51

Gerry Thornley: Joe Schmidt taking Australia job adds intrigue to the Lions tour

Gerry Thornley: Joe Schmidt taking Australia job adds intrigue to the Lions tour

Former Ireland coach had his imprint all over New Zealand’s victory against his former team in the Rugby World Cup

By Gerry ThornleyFri Jan 19 2024 - 15:11

Gerry Thornley: Nienaber’s influence all over Leinster’s interest in RG Snyman

Gerry Thornley: Nienaber’s influence all over Leinster’s interest in RG Snyman

Munster will now fear that history will repeat itself after Snyman’s injuries

By Gerry ThornleyFri Dec 15 2023 - 18:00

Gerry Thornley: How long will the concept of the Lions stay relevant?

Gerry Thornley: How long will the concept of the Lions stay relevant?

The tour has become more of a corporate venture while player welfare concerns continue to be prevalent

By Gerry ThornleyFri Dec 08 2023 - 17:15

Gerry Thornley: High-class French sides loom into view ahead of Champions Cup

Gerry Thornley: High-class French sides loom into view ahead of Champions Cup

Stuart Lancaster is already having a big impact at Racing 92, with a game against Ulster coming up this month

By Gerry ThornleyFri Dec 01 2023 - 16:15

Gerry Thornley: Antoine Dupont’s switch to Sevens has political implications

Gerry Thornley: Antoine Dupont’s switch to Sevens has political implications

FFR’s Florian Grill’s sanction of Dupont to play Olympics over Six Nations must play well with the French government

By Gerry ThornleyFri Nov 17 2023 - 17:42

Gerry Thornley: Extending Bundee Aki’s contract is good business from IRFU

Gerry Thornley: Extending Bundee Aki’s contract is good business from IRFU

Ireland centre is playing some of the best rugby of his life and was nominated for World Player of the Year

By Gerry ThornleyFri Oct 27 2023 - 17:58

Gerry Thornley: Unpopular Borthwick has free shot to upset favourites South Africa

Gerry Thornley: Unpopular Borthwick has free shot to upset favourites South Africa

Rugby World Cup semi-final build-up felt anticlimactic with hosts and best supported visiting side out of the tournament

By Gerry ThornleyFri Oct 20 2023 - 13:44

Gerry Thornley: Gone are the days that the All Blacks could name only one Ireland player

Gerry Thornley: Gone are the days that the All Blacks could name only one Ireland player

Ireland v New Zealand countdown: There was a time when it was Brian O’Driscoll and 14 others in green jerseys . . . now all has changed, changed utterly

By Gerry ThornleyFri Oct 13 2023 - 15:41

Gerry Thornley: Streets of Tours echo with Irish laughter as Ireland relax ahead of crucial Scotland match

Gerry Thornley: Streets of Tours echo with Irish laughter as Ireland relax ahead of crucial Scotland match

Rugby World Cup base in Tours was perfect for Andy Farrell’s men for reasons ranging from practical to historical

By Gerry ThornleyFri Oct 06 2023 - 15:46

Gerry Thornley: Rugby doesn’t have the depth of quality to justify an expanded World Cup

Gerry Thornley: Rugby doesn’t have the depth of quality to justify an expanded World Cup

Reports that the 2027 and 2031 Rugby World Cups are to be expanded from 20 to 24 teams come as no surprise

By Gerry ThornleyFri Sept 29 2023 - 17:10

Gerry Thornley: Antoine Dupont’s injury again highlights the toll on modern-day rugby players

Gerry Thornley: Antoine Dupont’s injury again highlights the toll on modern-day rugby players

Any World Cup which loses the world’s best player is simply the poorer for his absence

By Gerry ThornleyFri Sept 22 2023 - 15:07

Gerry Thornley: This World Cup probably couldn’t be in a better rugby country

Gerry Thornley: This World Cup probably couldn’t be in a better rugby country

Rugby may be the 10th biggest sport in France in terms of playing numbers, but its popularity as a sporting spectacle is clear to see

By Gerry ThornleyFri Sept 15 2023 - 14:38

Gerry Thornley: France’s love affair with watching rugby dwarfs participation levels

Gerry Thornley: France’s love affair with watching rugby dwarfs participation levels

Rugby is only France’s 10th most popular sport for participation yet viewing figures for the World Cup compare with the highs of its soccer equivalent

By Gerry ThornleyFri Sept 08 2023 - 13:24

Gerry Thornley: As injuries mount before the World Cup, rugby needs to look after its battered warriors

Gerry Thornley: As injuries mount before the World Cup, rugby needs to look after its battered warriors

Cian Healy not alone in falling victim to injury in warm-up games, with the likes of Anthony Watson, Romain Ntamack and Tommaso Menoncello missing out

By Gerry ThornleyFri Sept 01 2023 - 14:00

Gerry Thornley: Ireland look to avoid a ‘Battle of Bayonne’ against Samoa

Gerry Thornley: Ireland look to avoid a ‘Battle of Bayonne’ against Samoa

O’Driscoll was injured in 2007 following a punch by New Zealand-born Bayonne lock Mikaera Tewhata

By Gerry ThornleyFri Aug 25 2023 - 15:08

Gerry Thornley: There are no winners in the Owen Farrell red card saga

Gerry Thornley: There are no winners in the Owen Farrell red card saga

You wonder how any panel could adjudicate on any appeal to this vexed verdict such has been the noise around it

By Gerry ThornleyFri Aug 18 2023 - 16:03

Gerry Thornley: Photograph of Sexton and Keane captures optimism of Ireland’s World Cup hopes

Gerry Thornley: Photograph of Sexton and Keane captures optimism of Ireland’s World Cup hopes

This year, more than ever, the spread of support throughout Ireland for Andy Farrell’s side appears bigger than it has ever been

By Gerry ThornleyFri Aug 11 2023 - 16:46

Gerry Thornley: Calm before the storm as Ireland’s Rugby World Cup preparation builds

Gerry Thornley: Calm before the storm as Ireland’s Rugby World Cup preparation builds

Ireland have earned mantle of world's top side and deserve all the good will coming to them

By Gerry ThornleyFri Aug 04 2023 - 18:01

None of Leinster’s outside backs made a pass in the final - a remarkable and telling stat

None of Leinster’s outside backs made a pass in the final - a remarkable and telling stat

It’s harder to argue that Leinster should have won, La Rochelle dominated possession and didn’t allow them to

By Gerry ThornleyFri May 26 2023 - 17:31

Gerry Thornley: Irish coaching talent is now more prized than ever before – well, abroad anyway

Gerry Thornley: Irish coaching talent is now more prized than ever before – well, abroad anyway

More opportunities need to be found for Irish coaches to bring the skills sharpened overseas to benefit the game here

By Gerry ThornleyFri May 19 2023 - 18:21

Gerry Thornley: Leinster v Munster is the biggest domestic rivalry in world rugby

Gerry Thornley: Leinster v Munster is the biggest domestic rivalry in world rugby

A strong domestic rivalry is usually healthy for any team sport, and Irish rugby is lucky to have it

By Gerry ThornleyFri May 12 2023 - 16:20

Gerry Thornley: Extension of URC has already achieved its aim

Gerry Thornley: Extension of URC has already achieved its aim

For Leinster any URC title will be harder earned than the previous Pro14 five-in-row

By Gerry ThornleyFri May 05 2023 - 16:44

Gerry Thornley: Leo Cullen rightly wary of the huge threat Toulouse pose

Gerry Thornley: Leo Cullen rightly wary of the huge threat Toulouse pose

Leinster coach uncomfortable with the hype around his team as they face the might and tradition of Europe’s most successful club

By Gerry ThornleyFri Apr 28 2023 - 18:16

Gerry Thornley: Clear statement of faith in Sam Prendergast as he makes first Leinster start

Gerry Thornley: Clear statement of faith in Sam Prendergast as he makes first Leinster start

With his tall, languid style and passing range, there is a hint of Stephen Larkham about the talented outhalf

By Gerry ThornleyFri Apr 14 2023 - 14:23

Gerry Thornley: England’s appointment of Felix Jones shows high stock of Irish rugby coaches

Gerry Thornley: England’s appointment of Felix Jones shows high stock of Irish rugby coaches

It says something about the reputation of the Dubliner’s coaching that the biggest nations want him on board

By Gerry ThornleyFri Mar 31 2023 - 15:13

The Ireland players who can still stake a claim for World Cup squad place

The Ireland players who can still stake a claim for World Cup squad place

Jordan Larmour and Jacob Stockdale among those who need strong ends to their seasons

By Gerry ThornleyFri Mar 24 2023 - 13:26

The day England stood shoulder to shoulder with Irish rugby

The day England stood shoulder to shoulder with Irish rugby

In 1973 the immediate future of Irish rugby, and to a degree the Five Nations, hinged on whether England would play Ireland in Dublin

By Gerry ThornleyThu Mar 16 2023 - 17:49

Gerry Thornley’s Counter Ruck: The curious case of Owen Farrell

Gerry Thornley’s Counter Ruck: The curious case of Owen Farrell

Farrell has been playing excellent rugby for Saracens this season, yet has gradually been moved onto the bench by England

By Gerry ThornleyFri Mar 10 2023 - 16:48

Gerry Thornley: Six players who have caught the eye in the Six Nations

Gerry Thornley: Six players who have caught the eye in the Six Nations

The Counter Ruck: With Ollie Lawrence, a problem position appears to have been resolved for England

By Gerry ThornleyFri Mar 03 2023 - 10:00

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