What is behind a sobering whitewash URC weekend for the Irish provinces?
Absence of international quality a clear contributor to sobering opening-round results
Connacht Rugby
Connacht’s forward power to be strengthened with return of Irish internationals
All five forwards from Andy Farrell’s summer squad are in contention to play in Treviso
No surprise that Béibhinn Parsons is now Irish women’s rugby’s most prolific try scorer
Connacht player’s brace of tries against Japan on home soil took her tally in Test rugby to 24
Connacht fall to defeat against dominant Stormers in opening match
Irish province punished by Stormers side who wore them down with strong pack
Confident Connacht ready for stern test as they welcome Stormers to Dexcom
Mack Hansen back in action as Stuart Lancaster looks to thrill home crowd
‘You get a good spell and never look back’: Munster’s Diarmuid Kilgallen on overcoming injury
Winger has been dogged by hamstring, but is named on right for opening URC game against Glasgow
URC has been enriched by South African infusion, but Leinster remain the team to beat
Third successive title would be the perfect sendoff for Leo Cullen
Mack Hansen returns to URC action for Connacht after 11 months out
Team news: Caspar Gabriel gets the nod at outhalf for Leinster’s URC opener against the Lions
‘It freshens you up’: Munster’s Jimmy Duffy on how travels shaped his rugby philosophy
Forwards coach bringing experience from Tonga and down under to Thomond Park
URC fixtures list: Leinster start campaign with a trip to South Africa
Connacht and Ulster head for South Africa in late October while Munster do so next April
Deafening sound of September silence tells us where rugby has messed up
It will nearly be October when the season finally starts. Can’t we just go back to the old way?
‘She’s got a bit about her’: Jemima Adams Verling backed to make impact in Ireland debut
Head coach Scott Bemand says Connacht prospect picked for ‘grafting away’ as hectic five-game block kicks off
‘It just felt like a perfect storm was building here’: Will Connors on Connacht move
Former Leinster man relishing fresh challenge out west and fighting for Ireland place
As Leo Cullen prepares for his final season in charge, why haven’t Leinster strengthened?
The Counter Ruck Podcast
Connacht face demanding tests ahead but Lancaster effect bodes for improvement
Young players were given their opportunities and flourished under Stuart Lancaster’s watch last season
Provincial matters come to a heady end as Munster get the job done once more
Ulster defy the odds to clinch third as Munster go back-to-back in Dexcom finale
Munster defend with their lives against Leinster to retain Interprovincial Championship title
Ulster earn comprehensive victory over Connacht for third
Munster, Leinster and Connacht head to France for preseason games to test out new signings
Edinburgh-bound Ulster now include some of Richie Murphy’s former Ireland under-20s charges
Munster book place in Interprovincial final with crushing win over Ulster
Ten-try Munster win in Cork as Leinster hold off Connacht
Women’s Interpros wrap: Buttimer scores four tries as Munster ease to win over Leinster
Connacht prevail in a tight encounter with Ulster in Belfast
Ronan O’Gara in the frame to replace Leo Cullen at Leinster, says David Humphreys
IRFU performance director spoke with the La Rochelle head coach in April about his future ambitions
‘We’ve brought them over to see what they’re made of’: John Fogarty on giving youth a chance
Scrum coach pinpoints qualities younger players can bring as Ireland prepare to play Japan
Billy Bohan and Sam Illo in line to make Ireland debuts against Japan
Jeremy Loughman out of this week’s action following head injury against Australia
Peter Dooley returns to Leinster after four-year stint with Connacht
The 31-year-old prop returns to his home province for a second spell
Connacht face into ‘group of death’ on return to Champions Cup action
Stuart Lancaster’s side to take on French heavyweights Toulouse and La Rochelle, while Munster face two-time reigning champions Bordeaux-Bègles
Gordon D’Arcy: This tour could be the most useful thing to happen to Irish rugby in two years
Injuries have thrown up an inadvertent opportunity for Andy Farrell
‘The scenes were incredible’: When Ireland under-20s made history by beating New Zealand
Nigel Carolan, who was head coach, and outhalf Bill Johnston recall that momentous day in June 2016
Matt Williams: Leo Cullen deserves a final season, but Leinster must avoid the long goodbye
Speculation over a coach’s successor can destabilise the team unless the process is handled properly
Leinster still nursing Champions Cup wounds despite reaching URC final four
Leo Cullen’s side the last province standing as Munster and Connacht bow out
Glasgow’s pack overpowers Connacht to knock them out of URC
Scottish side will play the winners of Bulls-Munster in the semi-final
Conor Murray: All is not lost for Leinster
Leo Cullen’s side need to tap into the same emotions that won them the URC last season
‘We go there with confidence’: Connacht look to bring fight to Warriors
Family affair for head coach Stuart Lancaster as son Dan named as starting outhalf for Glasgow
Ciarán Frawley explains why he’s leaving Leinster for Connacht
Frawley says consistent game time and reunion with Stuart Lancaster shaped decision to leave province
Stuart Lancaster expects fierce test against a Glasgow team that could feature his son
Connacht head coach says confidence is high ahead of URC quarter-final following impressive wins
Gerry Thornley: A deflating and damaging weekend for Leinster, Ulster and Irish rugby
Irish provinces have never seemed farther away from a Champions Cup win
Three Irish provinces on the dance card for URC quarter-final fandango
Connacht will take on Glasgow Warriors in Scotland, Munster face Bulls in Pretoria and Leinster have home advantage against Lions
URC final day playoff permutations and Champions Cup qualification explainer
All four Irish provinces cannot make the URC playoffs but all four could yet qualify for Champions Cup next season
Connacht reach URC playoffs with bonus-point win in Edinburgh
Stuart Lancaster’s side were dominant throughout to seal a place in the knock-out stages
Conor Murray: How the battle for the number nine shirt is shaping the future of Irish rugby
Munster’s hurling culture and the influence of the GAA on Irish rugby’s development pipeline
Days of players being sent off for thuggery are in past, says Clayton McMillan
Munster head coach welcomes rescinding of red card for hooker Diarmuid Barron in Connacht defeat
Connacht high on belief but Edinburgh have nothing to lose
Stuart Lancaster’s side go to the Hive searching for a top-eight URC finish
Matt Williams: URC organisers should take a bow – and do nothing else
The tightness of the battle to reach the quarter-finals is evidence of the competition’s success
URC permutations: How Irish teams can make that crucial top-eight placing
Munster, Ulster and Connacht could finish in top eight, while Leinster could still finish top of table
Jack Aungier to join Munster from Connacht on two-year deal
Tighthead prop made 100 appearances in six seasons at Connacht
Connacht expect ‘huge battle’ against Edinburgh in final-round URC match
Edinburgh’s ‘motivation will be huge to finish the season on a high’, says Connacht’s Cullie Tucker
Gerry Thornley: Repeating top-eight URC feat would be an even bigger outcome for Irish game
Three of last season’s top eight will not reach the playoffs - all of which makes for a very fluid and competitive league
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
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