IRFU powers take a sledgehammer to a nailON RUGBY: THE RECENT unveiling of the IRFU’s changes to player contracts, specifically those for non-Irish qualified players…Tue Dec 27 2011 - 00:00
When is a 'record' crowd not a record?ATTENDANCE FIGURES: LEINSTER OFFICIALS admit that their official “attendances” at home matches in both the RDS and the Aviva…Tue Dec 20 2011 - 00:00
More fun to see Leinster in attacking modeON RUGBY: UP UNTIL Sunday afternoon, Leinster and Toulouse looked like the two stand-out teams in the Heineken Cup for the third…Tue Dec 20 2011 - 00:00
Connacht facing a difficult assignmentGUY Noves shuffles his cards with seven changes, but the quality of those called up (William Servat, Yohan Montes, Romain Millo…Sat Dec 17 2011 - 00:00
Munster looking to consolidate their positionFEW EUROPEAN defeats in modern times rankled with Munster more than the quarter-final beating they were handed by an inspired…Sat Dec 17 2011 - 00:00
McFadden keen to make a pitch for number 13 jerseyRUGBY NEWS ROUND-UP: ASSUREDLY, NO Irish player has ever done more to encourage young boys to take up rugby than Brian O’Driscoll…Tue Nov 29 2011 - 00:00
Pro12 a friend to Munster in time of transitionON RUGBY: AS WITH the Celtic League and the Magners League, the Pro12 receives something of a bum rapTue Nov 29 2011 - 00:00
Fitzgerald learns to slow things down after World Cup omissionIF IT doesn’t break you, it can make you, and in Luke Fitzgerald’s case this appears to be the caseWed Nov 23 2011 - 00:00
Provinces likely to rest front-linersNEWS ROUND-UP: ALL THE Irish provinces, and especially Leinster and Munster, are likely to be shorn of their World Cup front…Wed Nov 23 2011 - 00:00
Heineken Cup brewing up nicely for DecemberON RUGBY: With things so tight at the top, upcoming back-to-cack rounds could be even more pivotal than everTue Nov 22 2011 - 00:00
Leinster fly as O'Gara lands itRUGBY: HEINEKEN CUP AFTER LANDING a match-winning drop goal in overtime for the second successive game, against Castres in Toulouse…Mon Nov 21 2011 - 00:00
'Experience will drive us on in league next week'FOR THE longer-serving Connacht players, those who had toiled through the tough times, there must have been a whirl of post-match…Mon Nov 21 2011 - 00:00
Noves treating Connacht with due cautionWATCHING AN admittedly reshaped Toulouse side struggle to find any real sustained rhythm or control over Gloucester last week…Sat Nov 19 2011 - 00:00
Welford Road assignment a huge test of Ulster's capabilitiesAFTER THE latest tour de force by Stephen Ferris and the opportunism of Ian Humphreys helped to see off Clermont last week, to…Sat Nov 19 2011 - 00:00
Galacticos aplenty as Toulouse hit GalwayRUGBY: THE DAY of reckoning is at hand, and as 100th games in Europe go, Connacht’s big day is becoming bigger by the daySat Nov 19 2011 - 00:00
Connacht set to face Toulouse's big gunsHEINEKEN CUP POOL SIX: ALL ROADS lead to the Wild Wild West tomorrow – though the forecast suggests the weather will lighten…Fri Nov 18 2011 - 00:00
Pushing Connacht backs to live on the edgeHEINEKEN CUP POOL SIX: ONE OF the most refreshing aspects of Connacht’s Heineken Cup debut last Friday was that they started…Wed Nov 16 2011 - 00:00
Elwood relishing the visit of ToulouseRUGBY: THE BIG day is finally upon them, and barring a few more days to allow some players to recover from the various knocks…Tue Nov 15 2011 - 00:00
Looking for a last-ditch winner? Call RogRUGBY: STAND UP and Fight, and Until the Final Bell indeedMon Nov 14 2011 - 00:00
Some good old Munster faith can win dayTIMES ARE as tough in Limerick as they are anywhere else and, by all accounts, there is nothing like the traditional stampede…Sat Nov 12 2011 - 00:00
Ulster want Ferris at the wheelULSTER’S WEEKEND medical bulletin in the fall-out from their win over Connacht boded ill for Saturday’s daunting Heineken Cup…Thu Nov 10 2011 - 00:00
Friends turn to foes once moreRUGBY: AS WORLD Cup hangover cures go, this is the ultimate hairy lemonFri Nov 04 2011 - 00:00
Not fever pitch just yet: Leinster chief still confident of sell-outLEINSTER v MUNSTER: MICK DAWSON, the Leinster Branch chief executive, admits that because of the World Cup, the province are…Wed Nov 02 2011 - 00:00
Murphy gives clear hint on retirementRUGBY: GEORDAN MURPHY has given the broadest hint yet that he is set to retire from international rugbyTue Nov 01 2011 - 00:00
Adventure ends as Ireland do a lot of things well but Wales do them betterWales 22 Ireland 10: IN THE heel of the hunt, Wales were obliged to make significantly more tackles (141 to 93) and whereas …Mon Oct 10 2011 - 01:00
Kidney feels the hurt after Wales execute perfect planRUGBY: NOBODY DIED. It’s only sport, and Ireland merely lost a game of rugbyMon Oct 10 2011 - 01:00
'We're bitterly disappointed to be going home'THE IRISH players didn’t just feel they missed out on a gilt-edged opportunity to reach a first World Cup semi-final but, whispering…Mon Oct 10 2011 - 01:00
One last box to tickRUGBY: A QUIET Saturday morning in Ireland, a raucous Saturday evening in Wellington, with not a room to be hadFri Oct 07 2011 - 01:00
Men from the valleys prepare to ascendRUGBY QUARTER-FINALS IRELAND v WALES: WITH WARREN Gatland yet to lob in any grenades, the mutual respect between the Welsh and…Thu Oct 06 2011 - 01:00
O'Driscoll and D'Arcy remain centredPICTURE THE scene: a conference room the size of a swanky living room, with over 70 media types crammed in, including photographers…Thu Oct 06 2011 - 01:00
O'Callaghan relishing renewal of old rivalryIRELAND v WALES: FAMILIARITY BREEDS contempt, it is said, and there are times when the rivalry between Irish and Welsh players…Wed Oct 05 2011 - 01:00
N Z threat: Miller says everyone 'replaceable'OVER TO TEW: THE WORLD Cup would go on without the New Zealand All Blacks if they chose to boycott the 2015 tournament, International…Wed Oct 05 2011 - 01:00
Blarney Army paint town green - with a little help from the KiwisHISTORICALLY, IRELAND don’t do Rugby World Cups – but they appear to be doing one now.Mon Oct 03 2011 - 01:00
Clinical Ireland put Italians to the swordIreland 36 Italy 6: FOR ONCE the cardiac team decided not to put themselves or the rest of us through the wringerMon Oct 03 2011 - 01:00
Curiously, Aussies will be rooting for the New Zealand WarriorsDUNEDIN LETTER: THE SUSPICION was that New Zealand would be altogether different in both a World Cup setting and, particularly…Fri Sept 30 2011 - 01:00
Duo passed fit as Kidney opts for O'GaraRugby : Paul O’Connell and Tommy Bowe have been passed fit and confirmed amongst the starting line-up to face Italy in the crunch…Fri Sept 30 2011 - 01:00
O'Gara gets the Italian job over SextonRugby: As expected, Conor Murray and Ronan O’Gara will form a new half-back partnership for Ireland’s crunch World Cup Pool …Fri Sept 30 2011 - 01:00
O'Gara gets the Italian job over SextonRUGBY: AS EXPECTED, Conor Murray and Ronan O’Gara will form a new half-back partnership for Ireland’s crunch World Cup Pool …Fri Sept 30 2011 - 01:00
O'Connell sits out training againRUGBY: PAUL O’CONNELL remains Ireland’s biggest concern ahead of the winner-takes-all Pool D finale against Italy on Sunday …Thu Sept 29 2011 - 01:00
Smal remains wary of threat posed by ItalyRugby: THE IRISH squad returned to work yesterday after a couple of days’ rest knowing the pressure they are under to effectively…Wed Sept 28 2011 - 01:00
Ireland find their hiding place as the fringe steps up to the markIreland 62 Russia 12: HIDINGS HAVE not been an Irish speciality over the years, but although this regenerated team were on something…Mon Sept 26 2011 - 01:00
Rout keeps Ireland flying highRUGBY: THE IRISH World Cup odyssey exuberantly carries onMon Sept 26 2011 - 01:00
Russian rout keeps Ireland flying highRugby: The Irish World Cup odyssey exuberantly carries onMon Sept 26 2011 - 01:00
Ireland ready for bonus territoryRUGBY: GERT SMAL has publicly stated that the newly-promoted players in this remodelled Irish side have to move performance …Sat Sept 24 2011 - 01:00
