Savour these pool finale dramas - they might be nearly the lastIt’s back and, as ever, not a moment too lateTue Jan 08 2013 - 00:00
Munster left a little bloodied by defeat as Leinster look in rude healthRUGBY: A week is a long time in sport, as the week just passed ably highlighted, and Munster and their supporters will be fervently…Mon Jan 07 2013 - 00:00
Poster boy with the happy-go-lucky nature was born to run for MunsterMunster have their poster boy signed up for three more years and, despite interest from Toulouse, that suits Simon Zebo just …Sat Jan 05 2013 - 00:00
Lam emerges as frontrunner for Connacht positionRUGBY: Although no deal has been signed or sealed, the former Auckland Blues head coach Pat Lam has emerged as the front-runner…Sat Jan 05 2013 - 00:00
Munster secure Zebo with new three-year dealRUGBY: Munster have fended off the covetous advances of Toulouse to secure Simon Zebo with a three-year contract extension, …Fri Jan 04 2013 - 00:00
Hanks, King and Lam head contendersThe Kiwi and former Wasps and Sale coach Tony Hanks, current Clermont Auvergne backs coach Alex King, and former Auckland Blues…Fri Jan 04 2013 - 00:00
Ulster's dominant scrum paves the way for sweet victory over LeinsterUlster 27 Leinster 19: It was always likely that Ulster were going to be more motivated and inspired by a raucous Ravenhill …Sat Dec 22 2012 - 00:00
Schmidt rings the changes for LeinsterRUGBY: In recent years, what with the demands of the Heineken Cup either side of the festive period as well as the player welfare…Fri Dec 21 2012 - 00:00
Schmidt's observations true, flaws of Cup are also its beautiesON RUGBY: Amid all the bleating and bully boy demands from the English and French clubs to suit their own, if contrasting, needs…Tue Dec 18 2012 - 00:00
Away defeat to Metro may come back to haunt MunsterTo go toe-to-toe in back-to-back matches with the heavyweight Saracens’ bruisers was no mean feat, and Munster emerged with an…Tue Dec 18 2012 - 00:00
Ulster now the only realistic contenders for last eightIrish rugby hasn’t known such a demoralising weekend in a long timeMon Dec 17 2012 - 00:00
'Their power up front was key in the second half'A normally ebullient Simon Zebo could scarcely conceal his disappointmentMon Dec 17 2012 - 00:00
Munster left with that sinking feeling after losing a titanic battleSaracens 19 Munster 13 Over the course of two good old-fashioned and titanic European arm wrestles, there was little or nothing…Mon Dec 17 2012 - 00:00
Laulala gets his big chance as Munster go on another missionThere was something old-fashioned about last week’s tryless first bout in the Thomond Park cauldron and such are the stakes here…Sat Dec 15 2012 - 00:00
Blue army turns out in Leinster's hour of needA team can’t win the Heineken Cup in December, but they can lose it – and this applies in spades to the reigning holders today…Sat Dec 15 2012 - 00:00
Biarritz ring changes for Connacht clashConnacht can expect a Biarritz backlash this evening in the Basque country judging by the fallout from the westerners’ 22-14 …Fri Dec 14 2012 - 00:00
Trimble meeting Gilroy challenge head onCome the Six Nations and if Craig Gilroy isn’t picked for Ireland’s opener against Wales, Declan Kidney will assuredly receive…Thu Dec 13 2012 - 00:00
Seasonal re-appearances: Fitzgerald and O'Malley nearing returnLuke Fitzgerald and Eoin O’Malley are both expected to make their seasonal reappearances for Leinster in their Rabo Direct Pro…Thu Dec 13 2012 - 00:00
Wounded beast a big worry for AnscombeHistory has shown us that when heavyweight contenders bump into each other in the pivotal back-to-back rounds in the pool stages…Wed Dec 12 2012 - 00:00
McCarthy set to accept Leinster's three-year dealMike McCarthy is set to leave Connacht at the end of the season in order to take up an offer of a three-year contract from back…Wed Dec 12 2012 - 00:00
Only the Irish can prevent an Anglo-French carve-upOn Rugby: All quiet on the ERC front, although as expected the tension amongst the stakeholders as the English clubs especially…Tue Dec 11 2012 - 00:00
Next week can't come quick enough - BossCue Leinster, and the need for an equally feverish atmosphere in the Aviva next SaturdayTue Dec 11 2012 - 00:00
Cullen feels more could have been gained from a cagey encounterAs the unshowered players negotiated the narrow passageways underneath the main stand, sidestepping or stopping amid the camera…Mon Dec 10 2012 - 00:00
One that got away as Leinster fail to reel in ClermontPOOL FIVE Clermont Auvergne 15 Leinster 12: Leinster made the retreat from Clermont last night with an abiding feeling that …Mon Dec 10 2012 - 00:00
Defeat puts Leinster under immense pressureHEINEKEN CUP: Leinster seriously threatened to complete an historic Heineken Cup four-timer for the Irish provinces yesterday…Mon Dec 10 2012 - 00:00
Moment of truth for injury-hit MunsterRUGBY: If it’s Saturday tea-time with a high-flying English team strutting into Thomond Park intent on storming the garrison…Sat Dec 08 2012 - 00:00
Scrumhalf taking and making the breaksDue to his exploits with the Connacht and Ireland Under-20s in the last two years, good judges had already begun to earmark Kieran…Fri Dec 07 2012 - 00:00
Best can't wait to get in on the act as high-flying Ulster tackle the SaintsHe’s 30 now, with 131 Ulster caps and 62 Ireland caps, and hence he should know betterFri Dec 07 2012 - 00:00
Ferris season in doubt after ankle surgeryIn what must be a devastating blow for the player himself, Stephen Ferris’ season and with it his Lions’ hopes have been placed…Thu Dec 06 2012 - 00:00
Back-to-back ties can break spine of a seasonRUGBY : The upcoming back-to-back fixtures in the Heineken Cup always had a make-or-break look to them and if anything the opening…Thu Dec 06 2012 - 00:00
Ulster refuse to be weighed down by unbeaten runBoasting European rugby’s only unbeaten record this season, rarely, indeed perhaps never, will Ulster have travelled abroad in…Wed Dec 05 2012 - 00:00
Gatland accentuates positives in tough drawAs is his wont, Warren Gatland livened up proceedings with his candourTue Dec 04 2012 - 00:00
All Blacks looked tired, but England win still makes north less grimON RUGBY: And in an hour and a half or so in a little corner of south west London, the world changed on its axisTue Dec 04 2012 - 00:00
Kidney admits avoiding All Blacks in quarter-finals a huge carrotBy common consent, the 2015 World Cup was too far away to make anything resembling concrete forecasts but, for what it was worth…Tue Dec 04 2012 - 00:00
Draw gives Ireland good opportunity to proceed but topping pool looks essentialInsomuch as one can forecast how things might be panning out in almost three years’ time, Ireland were handed a reasonably negotiable…Tue Dec 04 2012 - 00:00
Wales the demon seeds to avoid in third potRUGBY : The perceived wisdom is Wales will be the team to avoid in today’s draw for the 2015 World Cup after Saturday’s agonising…Mon Dec 03 2012 - 00:00
Unbeaten Ulster ready themselves for a big monthNo less than the rest of the Irish provinces, Ulster face into something of a daunting, make-or-break midway spell in their season…Sat Dec 01 2012 - 00:00
Taxing five-day turnaround forces Anscombe to rest notable trioRABODIRECT PRO12: He who pays the piper calls the tune and all thatThu Nov 29 2012 - 00:00
Heaslip and Gilroy in Gatland's sightsLIONS TOUR: As reflects the ever-changing nature of the Lions’ selection landscape, the tourists’ head coach in Australia next…Thu Nov 29 2012 - 00:00
IRB Player of Year McCaw on shortlistIn a year when the All Blacks have remained unbeaten in nine matches to date, unsurprisingly their twin totems, Richie McCaw …Thu Nov 29 2012 - 00:00
Momentum puts a smile on Irish faces as a new team growsA full hour had passed at the Aviva Stadium last Saturday before the first Mexican Wave was followed by the day’s first rendition…Tue Nov 27 2012 - 00:00
Sexton the perfect 10 as Ireland unleash the beast on the PumasIreland 46 Argentina 24 By rights, Craig Gilroy should probably have passed inside to Jonny Sexton, but no-one was complaining…Mon Nov 26 2012 - 00:00
Christmas turkey may never taste better as Ireland's special brew hits right spotRewind to the aftermath of that 60-0 beating in Hamilton, and if you’d countenanced Ireland would be missing their two Lions …Mon Nov 26 2012 - 00:00
Ireland out to sow the seeds of victoryRUGBY: Ireland-Argentina tend not to do meaningless friendlies and so it is againSat Nov 24 2012 - 00:00
Gilroy brings the feel-good factorRUGBY: The hype is intensifying, as if any meeting between Ireland and Argentina needed itFri Nov 23 2012 - 00:00
Restyled Argentina fired up for final flingOozing confidence, enjoying each other’s company as ever and rallying for one final patriotic push for their 12th and final game…Fri Nov 23 2012 - 00:00
Waiting game pays dividends for HenryRUGBY : Amid all the talk of the young Ulster tyros cutting a swathe through the Irish ranks, there is an equally inspiring …Thu Nov 22 2012 - 00:00
Gilroy the only likely change from team that played SABoth Ireland and Argentina will today confirm largely anticipated line-ups for Saturday’s hugely significant international at…Thu Nov 22 2012 - 00:00
Gilroy deserves his chance against PumasRUGBY: Craig Gilroy, the 21-year-old uncapped Ulster winger, increasingly looks to have forced his way into the Irish starting…Wed Nov 21 2012 - 00:00
