A smell of irrational denial lingers in the air around Irish rugby
France are building promisingly for next year’s World Cup. Ireland? Not so much
All Blacks
Ireland’s aversion to kicking wasn’t part of the grand evolution we were sold
Drastic change of approach difficult to fathom after progress was made in Six Nations
Forget rugby’s world rankings: Ireland don’t belong in the top three
Comprehensive defeat to the All Blacks a sobering reminder of our real place in rugby’s global order
Nations Championship verdict: Enjoyable, but here’s how to make rugby even better
The new tournament has been unable to shed one recurring snag
Ireland are world’s fourth best side, but hungrier rivals could overtake
Nations Championship results so far belie third place in World Rugby’s rankings
Owen Doyle: Luke Jacobson not receiving a red card for reckless tackle was a shocker of a call
If clearout on Josh van der Flier only merited a yellow, then what would a player have to do to get sent off?
Jack Conan says Ireland were ‘a little bit soft’ against the All Blacks
Ireland forward was of the view that this tour will prove beneficial in the long run
Andy Farrell focused on maximising teamwork in effort to bridge gap with world’s best
Ireland head coach aims to iron out errors ahead of Rugby World Cup next year
Joe McCarthy highlighted why he’s one of Ireland’s most important players against New Zealand
Forward shone with his ball-carrying despite defeat to the All Blacks
If Luke Jacobson’s clearout on Josh van der Flier was only a yellow, throw rugby’s laws in the bin
Some questionable decisions from referee Nic Berry raise concerns over consistency in officiating
Andy Farrell bites his tongue on officiating following Ireland’s loss to New Zealand
Officials at Eden Park ruled Luke Jacobsen should only receive a yellow card for launching himself at Josh van der Flier and sticking elbow out
Ireland player ratings: Dan Sheehan and Joe McCarthy lead the way in Auckland defeat
Ireland authors of their own issues in Eden Park defeat
All Blacks beat Ireland with plenty to spare at Eden Park fortress
Six-try New Zealand extend Auckland unbeaten streak to 53 games
New Zealand 40 Ireland 21: All Blacks ease to victory at Eden Park – as it happened
Ireland end their summer window with a chastening defeat in the Nations Championship
Doug Howlett: ‘Munster are going to find it difficult to attract international players’
Former All Black reflects on his happy years playing and working for Munster, but fears the province’s recent struggles will make it harder to get top talent
Why New Zealand’s record at Eden Park might not be all it is cracked up to be
Andy Farrell’s Ireland side would not be the first to get a result in the All Blacks fortress
Rob Kearney on Ireland v New Zealand: ‘This backline is the best we have available’
The former fullback discusses Ireland’s line-up for Saturday’s daunting clash in Eden Park and the key challenges facing Andy Farrell’s side
Dan Sheehan lauds ‘unbelievable’ Sam Prendergast ahead of All Blacks test
Irish captain says Ireland will be in trouble ‘if we have one toe on the plane’ for season-ending game at Eden Park
Tadhg Furlong aiming to tip the balance of his 50-50 record against the All Blacks
Memories of breakthrough victory against New Zealand a decade ago continue to inspire Leinster player
Gerry Thornley: Ireland need something special to penetrate New Zealand’s fortress
Andy Farrell says it will be ‘right up there’ if Ireland inflict All Blacks’ first Eden Park defeat in 32 years
Matt Williams: New Zealand are planning a very public sacrificial act on rugby’s greatest altar
Eden Park could descend into a blowout if Ireland do not lift intensity and quality
Jimmy O’Brien’s ‘great form’ earns him nod from Andy Farrell for All Blacks clash
Ireland head coach says Leinster player is ‘on top of his game’ ahead of Saturday’s Nations Championship game in Eden Park
New Zealand v Ireland: Josh Moorby to start as Dave Rennie names All Blacks squad
Head coach picks first-choice line-up from players available for Saturday’s Nations Championship game
Reporting on the Ireland rugby team is a glimpse into a world of luxury
Exclusive training settings and high-end hotels are the order of the hour – and it’s not too shabby for the journalists either
Ireland’s lineout is a problem, which might explain the team to face New Zealand
Downturn in set-piece success has cost Andy Farrell’s team on the scoreboard
Ireland v New Zealand: Jimmy O’Brien to start over Jamie Osborne as Andy Farrell names team
Robert Baloucoune will make a delayed first appearance of the tour after recovering from the tight hamstring
Gordon D’Arcy: Whatever the All Blacks result, let’s avoid the error of wishful thinking
Supporters in danger of wanting something out of Andy Farrell’s Ireland team that may not be there
‘As a Kiwi, Eden Park is special’: Ireland backs coach Andrew Goodman is our man on the inside
New Zealander backs boys in green to ‘put their game on’ in Auckland against the All Blacks on Saturday
Full-strength Ireland squad ‘excited’ to tackle All Blacks and Eden Park history
New Zealand have not lost at their Auckland fortress for 32 years and 52 games
Ireland visit to All Blacks fortress could be start of something special
Win, lose or draw, Andy Farrell’s side will learn more about themselves in Nations Championship encounter
Ireland v Japan, James Lowe’s departure and Leinster’s hunt for new head coach
The Counter Ruck Podcast
New Zealand clash will be extra special for breakout Ireland star Sean Jansen
Born and reared in Dunedin, Jansen will have plenty of family and friends watching on at Eden Park
How has blatant illegality in the maul gone so far without being addressed?
World Rugby must ensure match officials no longer ignore players leaving the lineout prematurely
All Blacks must be more balanced to beat Ireland, Dave Rennie says
New Zealand beat Italy 47-17 on Saturday after underperforming in first half
Nations Championship: Wasteful Scotland left to rue missed chances in South Africa defeat
Big wins for England, France and New Zealand as Henry Pollock and Will Jordan notch hat-tricks
Matt Williams: If sport exists to teach us about values, rugby beat football last weekend
Ireland should beat Japan in Nations Championship, but a mauling by the Kiwis could be round the corner
Opportunity knocks for Ireland players to stake their claim against Japan
Andy Farrell says Saturday’s game in Newcastle is a chance for player to ‘prove they’re here to stay’
Should we just give the next Rugby World Cup to the Springboks already?
Depth, power and constant reinvention have placed Rassie Erasmus’s side ahead of the chasing pack
I’m not sure what Sheehan was trying to achieve after his disallowed try
Dan Sheehan would have been better off motivating his team than arguing over try
Rugby’s new bonkers era dawns with tries galore in perfect conditions
Opening round of Nations Championship show that reports of game’s demise are greatly exaggerated
All Blacks edge France in thriller to open Nations Championship in style
Hosts get new era under head coach Dave Rennie off to winning start
North and south collide in new Nations Championship of punishing itineraries
Six matches from Cardiff to Córdoba are bound to be intriguing, but player welfare is taking a back seat
Nations Championship 2026: TV details, kick-off times as Ireland play Australia in opening match
It is a rugby bonanza as there are six games for three consecutive weeks in July
Ireland won’t be in the right state to face rugby’s greatest challenge
The Nations Championship is an excellent concept in itself, but rugby’s fixture overload means players don’t have enough time for rest and recovery
James Lowe left out of Ireland squad for upcoming Nations Championship
Ireland to play Australia, Japan and New Zealand next month in new tournament
‘He was back on in five minutes’: The former Munster captain now suffering with dementia
Dementia came early for Donal Canniffe, who played for Ireland, but deterioration has been ‘extremely slow’, says his wife Mary
Rieko Ioane: ‘I needed Leinster to get me out of my comfort zone and grow my game’
The surprise signing discusses life at Leinster, his early inspirations and his eagerness to earn an All Blacks recall
Former Wallabies coach Dave Rennie takes All Blacks job and targets World Cup glory
Rennie succeeds Scott Robertson in one of biggest jobs in rugby
Gordon D’Arcy: Why has the narrative around Irish rugby turned apocalyptic so quickly?
We have reached point where not winning the Six Nations is framed as decline
Matt Williams: If Leinster can fix one glaring defensive flaw, they will be unstoppable
They have the quality to win the Champions Cup but need to have open and honest discussions about their defence
Gerry Thornley: It is hard not to feel sorry for Scott Robertson after All Blacks exit
Despite being eminently likeable, Robertson had not won the hearts and minds of New Zealand players and supporters
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Stardust
Inquests into the nightclub fire that led to the deaths of 48 people
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
Family NoticesOpens in new window
Weddings, Births, Deaths and other family notices