Ireland can justify the rising hopesRugby/Six Nations : The penultimate step to the promised land can often be the trickiest oneSat Mar 12 2005 - 00:00
D'Arcy fails to win fitness raceRUGBY Six Nations Championship: One steps out, another steps back in againWed Mar 09 2005 - 00:00
D'Arcy and Gleeson set for returnLeinster v Ospreys, Tomorrow, Donnybrook. On TV: Setanta 4Sat Mar 05 2005 - 00:00
Referee-bashing a dangerous new trendOn Rugby: Okay, let's pretend for a moment that the shoe was on the other foot; that Ireland had lost 19-13 to England at Twickenham…Tue Mar 01 2005 - 00:00
O'Driscoll adds to well of experienceRugby/Six Nations Championship: As with England the day before, Ireland have made one change for the clash at Lansdowne Road…Thu Feb 24 2005 - 00:00
D'Arcy doubtful as England opt for Stevens at propSix Nations Championship: On the day when there was contrasting news on the recuperating Irish centres Brian O'Driscoll and …Wed Feb 23 2005 - 00:00
It's time to reinvent the Lansdowne roarOn Rugby: Wistfully recalling halcyon days of yore probably goes with the territory of sports columns, but accompanying those…Tue Feb 22 2005 - 00:00
O'Driscoll, D'Arcy likely to be fitRugby Six Nations Championship: The Irish management were yesterday making cautiously optimistic noises about the recuperation…Tue Feb 22 2005 - 00:00
Weakened Leinster likely to fall again on the roadEdinburgh v Leinster Murrayfield: The news that Simon Taylor returns to the Edinburgh team for the first time since January …Sat Feb 19 2005 - 00:00
Late try is Connacht's only saving graceCeltic League: A spirited late rally - totally out of sync with much of the first hour - culminated in a trademark try from …Sat Feb 19 2005 - 00:00
Munster clear for Spanish invasionThe ERC have confirmed that the European Cup will break new ground at the quarter-final stages this season after approval was…Fri Feb 18 2005 - 00:00
Ulster in the form to tame Dragons in lairCELTIC LEAGUE Dragons v Ulster, Rodney Parade, 7Fri Feb 18 2005 - 00:00
England take the Goode optionThe uncapped Leicester outhalf Andy Goode has been called in to an expanded 30-man English squad in preparation for their meeting…Fri Feb 18 2005 - 00:00
League offers Bradley best route to EuropeConnacht v Llanelli Dubarry Park, 7.30p.mFri Feb 18 2005 - 00:00
No conflict of interest on stadium says IRFU presidentBarry Keogh, the president of the IRFU, and the Lansdowne Road Stadium Development Company have both strongly asserted that there…Fri Feb 11 2005 - 00:00
O'Sullivan's thoughts will centre on his optionsTo lose one world-class, game-breaking, low-sense-of-gravity, line-straightening, try-scoring Lions midfield shoo-in might be…Tue Feb 08 2005 - 00:00
'I want to win the Six Nations'Italy v Ireland/Interview with John Kirwan: Strange times in Italian rugbySat Feb 05 2005 - 00:00
O'Sullivan defers difficult decisionsFaced with some of the most difficult - if welcome - selectorial posers he's possibly ever encountered in his time as Irish coach…Thu Jan 27 2005 - 00:00
Ireland regarded as real contendersRUGBY/Six Nations: The sense of anticipation was acute at yesterday's Six Nations' launch, and so too the palpable feeling amongst…Thu Jan 27 2005 - 00:00
More than league at stake for ConnachtConnacht v Cardiff: At first glance eighth against 10th in the Celtic League wouldn't appear to have much cache in a European…Sat Jan 22 2005 - 00:00
Depleted Leinster braced for tough Borders testThe Borders v Leinster: On paper, this might at first glance seem like the most lob-sided match of the season given the top …Sat Jan 22 2005 - 00:00
Lack of pace out wide a worryRUGBY: There was nothing particularly new in Harlequins coach Mark Evans citing Munster's lack of pace out wide as the main …Mon Jan 17 2005 - 00:00
Provinces draw the short strawsThey were probably the quarter-final pairings the Irish provinces least favoured going into the weekend's final round of the …Mon Jan 17 2005 - 00:00
Provinces draw the short strawsThey were probably the quarter-final pairings the Irish provinces least favoured going into the weekend's final round of the …Mon Jan 17 2005 - 00:00
Provinces draw the short strawsRUGBY: They were probably the quarter-final pairings the Irish provinces least favoured going into the weekend's final round…Mon Jan 17 2005 - 00:00
Munster home in on the necessaryRUGBY/Harlequins v Munster : Yet another moment of truth for MunsterSat Jan 15 2005 - 00:00
Once Munster, always MunsterGerry Thornley hears a contentedly-retired Keith Wood pledge allegiance to his province even against old club HarlequinsSat Jan 15 2005 - 00:00
Only certainty is that nothing is for certainEuropean Cup pool-by-pool permutations: Even by the convoluted standards at this stage of the Heineken European Cup, the permutations…Fri Jan 14 2005 - 00:00
Refreshed French advance on EuropeOn Rugby: So, who said the French aren't interested in the European Cup? And the French don't like to travel? And the expanded…Tue Jan 11 2005 - 00:00
Munster still haven't shown full handEuropean Cup Pool Four: As ever, the palpable mood of another Thomond Park capacity crowd mirrored that of their teamMon Jan 10 2005 - 00:00
Munster maul too much for OspreysRUGBY Munster v N-S Ospreys, Thomond Park, 5.15: So here we go againSat Jan 08 2005 - 00:00
IRB pitches in for aid effortThe International Rugby Board (IRB) has announced a contribution of US$187,000 (141,860) to its humanitarian aid partner, the…Fri Jan 07 2005 - 00:00
Ulster need a big oneRUGBY European Cup/Ulster v Gloucester: By rights, this shouldn't be a contestFri Jan 07 2005 - 00:00
All the indications point to a photo finishEuropean Cup Overview: The Heineken European Cup resumes with the penultimate round of pool matches this weekend and all the…Fri Jan 07 2005 - 00:00
Ireland must face up to prop problemOn Rugby: This is, traditionally, a time for crystal ball gazing, but it wouldn't require a soothsayer to forecast that one …Tue Jan 04 2005 - 00:00
After much deliberation . . . this is the year aheadOn account of a pact with an evil-looking gentleman with cloven feet, a large fork, a sheepskin overcoat and a hip flask, this…Tue Dec 28 2004 - 00:00
Very few teams can afford to relaxAnd then there were 18? Two-thirds of the way through the Heineken European Cup pool stages, 48 matches having been played, and…Tue Dec 14 2004 - 00:00
Bourgoin not the first team to roll overThe Heineken European Cup doesn't really do dull, does it? The first round of the so-called Battle of Britain between Wasps and…Tue Dec 07 2004 - 00:00
Leinster will look to push for bonus pointEuropean Cup/Leinster v Bourgoin Lansdowne Road, 5Sat Dec 04 2004 - 00:00
Chips with everything: Triple Crown revisitedSports Books 2004/Rugby: Of all the sports literature out there in our book shops, rugby is one of the mostly poorly served - …Sat Dec 04 2004 - 00:00
Gouging not on, but IRB give Pumas cause for ireOn Rugby: No doubt there'll be hard-nosed aficionados of a bygone era who will have scoffed at the Irish management going public…Tue Nov 30 2004 - 00:00
No citings to follow claims of gougingIRELAND V ARGENTINA: Inconclusive video evidence means no action will be taken against any Argentinian players following accusations…Mon Nov 29 2004 - 00:00
Cut out to be a middle man after allShane Horgan interview: Funny, isn't it? For four years he'd been a top-class Leinster centre who supposedly couldn't cut it…Sat Nov 27 2004 - 00:00
Pumas' mix of familiar and newArgentina name team: Like their hosts, Argentina renew old acquaintances with Ireland this Saturday at Lansdowne Road on the…Thu Nov 25 2004 - 00:00
Argentina take the hardlineNews round-up: Argentina have restated their demands that their leading players be released for the Pumas' Test match against…Thu Nov 25 2004 - 00:00
O'Connor is the main doubtIreland team to play Argentina: Given the chance Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan is no different from any other coach in that…Wed Nov 24 2004 - 00:00
