Game escapes early from limited Munster teamTwenty seconds into this Ravenhill interprovincial Stuart Laing set Ulster on their way with a drop goalMon Sept 01 1997 - 01:00
Now or never for interprovincial protagonistsWelcome to the last chance saloonSat Aug 30 1997 - 01:00
Leinster V ConnachtLeinster will be without international full-back Ciaran Clarke, because he "did not pass a late fitness test" on his troublesome…Sat Aug 30 1997 - 01:00
Ulster V MunsterDesperate though Ulster's plight is, at least their position is fairly clear-cutSat Aug 30 1997 - 01:00
Gatland stands by his menConnacht, not surprisingly, have announced an unchanged side for their Interprovincial Championship meeting with Leinster at …Wed Aug 27 1997 - 01:00
IRFU cancel squad sessionsThe first three proposed training sessions for the Irish international squad, due to start tomorrow, have been cancelled.Tue Aug 26 1997 - 01:00
Munster prevail in barren struggleIf this is supposedly the creme de la creme of Irish representative rugby - the showpiece match-up of the Guinness Interprovincial…Mon Aug 25 1997 - 01:00
Pivotal match of the seriesIt is the most momentous clash of the Guinness Interprovincial Championship thus far - these things being relative of courseSat Aug 23 1997 - 01:00
Roche gets early Bath debutBrian Roche, the one-time Sunday's Well left-winger, will make a surprise English League Premiership debut for last season's …Fri Aug 22 1997 - 01:00
In a league of its ownIt is almost encouraging to note that daft seasonal structures are not confined to IrelandThu Aug 21 1997 - 01:00
Referees join Leinster squad in exercise of continuityIn the continuing effort to improve communication on and off the pitch between referees, players and coaches - while also endeavouring…Wed Aug 20 1997 - 01:00
Referees hold the key to open gameRunning Rugby, played at pace, with a reduction in set-pieces and a correlating increase in rucks and mauls, lots and lots of…Tue Aug 19 1997 - 01:00
Leinster flatter only to deceiveSo much sun, so much expectation, and so much disappointmentMon Aug 18 1997 - 01:00
PreviewsStephen Rooney came through a fitness test yesterday and Leinster field as selected, but Ulster have had to replace the injured…Sat Aug 16 1997 - 01:00
Interprovincials can usher in new dawnThe pitches are lush green and freshly painted, and yet vying with the crack of willow and the plop of balls off tennis racquets…Sat Aug 16 1997 - 01:00
Davidson accepts London Irish dealIn what constitutes a significant statement of intent for the coming season, London Irish yesterday announced that their Lions…Fri Aug 15 1997 - 01:00
Munster vacancyMunster have left a vacancy in their back row for the opening defence of their title against Connacht at the Sportsground on …Thu Aug 14 1997 - 01:00
Leinster recruit their third overseas playerOn the eve of the Guinness-sponsored inter provincial championship and before the European Cup transfer deadline at the end of…Wed Aug 13 1997 - 01:00
It's time the interpros got the chopWhat to do with the interpros? Whisper it gently, but the interprovincial championship is about to begin next Saturday at Donnybrook…Tue Aug 12 1997 - 01:00
Borders thwart comeback with a late tryOn the face of it, this appears to have had the makings of quite a notable scalp for Connacht on the eve of the inter-provincials…Mon Aug 11 1997 - 01:00
Tigers' Lions enjoy Irish oasisA few short years ago it wouldn't have seemed possibleSat Aug 09 1997 - 01:00
Training games on all frontsThe four provinces kick-off simultaneously on the rugby front this afternoon for the first of 10 consecutive weeks' action - …Sat Aug 09 1997 - 01:00
No rest for the wicked or Irish rugby playersThe rugby season grows ever longer and ever fullerThu Aug 07 1997 - 01:00
Provinces gearing up for tough task aheadBy its nature, the onset of a new rugby season brings with it ominous warnings of winter around the corner - apparently, this…Wed Aug 06 1997 - 01:00
Samoans witness start of Irish rugby revolutionANOTHER SCENE from a different world, another game of rugby from a different worldMon Jun 16 1997 - 01:00
Ashton's boys finish tour with mature performanceTHE NEW Irish broom wants to sweep away all talk of moral wins and satisfaction in defeatMon Jun 16 1997 - 01:00
Daunting end of tour task for IrelandTHIS being the dry season in Western Samoa, where temperatures of late have been regularly around the 30 degrees mark, only one…Sat Jun 14 1997 - 01:00
Need for change highlightedIT IS a pity, in a great many ways, that the Irish rugby population didn't experience this development tour first-handSat Jun 14 1997 - 01:00
Munster job for LeslieANDY LESLIE is set to become the new director of rugby for Munster following discussions with Irish coach Brian Ashton and manager…Thu Jun 12 1997 - 01:00
Irish developers get Maori approvalMATT TE POU, dark skinned, handsome in a weather-beaten sort of way and slightly gaunt, comes across as a genuine sort of fellow…Wed Jun 11 1997 - 01:00
Hope restored as Irish stem black tideANOTHER GAME, another defeat, but these things are relative and so this was a mighty improvementWed Jun 11 1997 - 01:00
Maori pride finds playful expressionTHE ELIGIBILITY criteria for the Maori rugby team is about as vague as that which applies to, well, come to think of it, the …Tue Jun 10 1997 - 01:00
Irish tackling to face another major testIN THEIR last outing, the Irish `A' Development team had more ball than they knew what to do withMon Jun 09 1997 - 01:00
Tourists get taste for the half bakedIF THE touring Irish development squad thought yesterday's game against King Country was winnable beforehand, they were even …Sat Jun 07 1997 - 01:00
Too little too late as Irish let one get awayONE STEP forward, another step back againSat Jun 07 1997 - 01:00
All expenses are sparedTHE path to professionalism is laden with gold? Well, not quite, and certainly not for these Irish touristsFri Jun 06 1997 - 01:00
Ashton calls time at last chance saloonTHE OASIS Beach resort in sleepy, off-season Taupo has provided the touring Irish with a fitting mid-tour respite of five days…Thu Jun 05 1997 - 01:00
First-choice `test' side nearly completeTHREE matches down and the Irish management move ever closer to their first-choice XV for the final games of the A/Development…Wed Jun 04 1997 - 01:00
Older and wiser side gains its first winANOTHER small step for Irish rugby, and another huge win for this developing development teamMon Jun 02 1997 - 01:00
Ireland beginning to show benefits of hard lessonsGOOD NEWS from the front, at lastMon Jun 02 1997 - 01:00
Ireland's late developers need a winANOTHER DAY, another coach journey, another training session it could only be the Ireland Development tour of New Zealand.Sat May 31 1997 - 01:00
Salvage operation starts hereIT WOULD be stretching things to say that the Ireland [Development side's pivotal match of their seven match tour against Thames…Sat May 31 1997 - 01:00
Plenty to ponder as Irish lose with styleFOR HALF an hour in the sun-kissed Rotorua National Stadium yesterday there wasn't a hole deep enough for the touring Irish to…Fri May 30 1997 - 01:00
Halpin's new wake up callTHE world over, the Irish are fondly regarded for the rather quaint manner in which they compete hard but are able to laugh off…Thu May 29 1997 - 01:00
Tour has the smell of sulphur about itROTORUA is New Zealand's biggest, year round tourist attraction, with a countless variety of outdoor activitiesThu May 29 1997 - 01:00
Irish intent on gaining victoryHAVING had more than enough salutary lessons in the opening two matches of their tour already, the mood has discernibly shifted…Wed May 28 1997 - 01:00
