Provinces reap the benefitsDevoid of a sponsor and virtually any fanfare, kick-started in summer, lacking the sort of television exposure which was hoped…Wed Sept 05 2001 - 01:00
New season, new openingsIt is surely unique that on the same day children returned to school the Ireland rugby squad returned to armsTue Sept 04 2001 - 01:00
Henderson sidelined until ChristmasRob Henderson has confirmed he will miss the first half of the 2001-2002 season after undergoing surgery on his knee cartilage…Tue Jul 24 2001 - 01:00
Jaded Lions have complaints aplenty but no real excusesIn the confines of the dressing-room the 2001 Lions were together for the last timeMon Jul 16 2001 - 01:00
Henry speaks out against tours of dutyGraham Henry walked along Manly beach yesterday, on one of those busy T-shirt-wearing winter Sundays in SydneyMon Jul 16 2001 - 01:00
Wounded Lions to face Test of prideSuch are the various rumblings and rumours concerning the catalogue of injuries which have afflicted the Lions that one half …Sat Jul 14 2001 - 01:00
Flatley takes centre stage as Larkham is ruled outA month ago it would have looked a bigger blow than will now be the case but even so the Wallabies must be disconcerted by the…Fri Jul 13 2001 - 01:00
Dawson puts media scrum behind himA cocky, cheeky chappy, Matt Dawson tends to leave his mark, whether it be an outrageous overhead dummy before scoring, or the…Fri Jul 13 2001 - 01:00
Healey v Roff looks slightly riskyFor the Lions' last throw of the dice, appropriately enough, Graham Henry and his fellow selectors have opted for the maverick…Thu Jul 12 2001 - 01:00
Wilkinson's recovery rate encouragingNo doubt much to the relief of the Lions management, Jonny Wilkinson seems likely to play in the decisive third Test in Sydney…Wed Jul 11 2001 - 01:00
Injuries are forcing a rethinkAs if they don't have enough to contend with - picking up a beaten team, all the end-of-season weariness, the disadvantages of…Tue Jul 10 2001 - 01:00
Lions licking their woundsLast stop and last chance saloon then. The Lions returned to Manly licking their many Wallaby-inflicted woundsMon Jul 09 2001 - 01:00
World Cup plansIf Muhammed won't go to the mountain and all that, so the International Rugby Board came to Melbourne this week and held what…Mon Jul 09 2001 - 01:00
Smyth sidelinedWord has also reached here of the news that Peter Smyth has been sidelined for the whole of next seasonMon Jul 09 2001 - 01:00
Wallabies show their clawsWe'll see what these Lions are made of now, but the auguries are not promisingMon Jul 09 2001 - 01:00
Strange mix of foreign invaderFor much of Saturday the backdrop had been pretty similar to the first test in BrisbaneMon Jul 09 2001 - 01:00
Rugby's improving profileThe Australian Rugby Union have been criticised for sacrificing some of the Wallabies' home advantage by taking the first two…Mon Jul 09 2001 - 01:00
Lions ready to face Wallaby backlashThe anticipated epic didn't quite materialise last week but it looks pretty well set for the Colonial Stadium in Melbourne today…Sat Jul 07 2001 - 01:00
Henry holding BackIn delaying the announcement of their Test team for Saturday by naming a provisional squad of 27, the Lions management could …Thu Jul 05 2001 - 01:00
'They've given the tour party a tremendous lift'Bearing in mind how last season ended, more than ever Munster will now be convinced that there is a curse on their back rowWed Jul 04 2001 - 01:00
Too far-fetched an ending to be fictionWho writes these guys' scripts anyway? Trailing 19-3 and being beaten out the gate half-an-hour in, and behind for the entire…Wed Jul 04 2001 - 01:00
Brumbies tie offers Dawson choice to put up or shut upA day is a long time on a Lions tourMon Jul 02 2001 - 01:00
Roaring Lions tear apart the WallabiesAs has become custom on this tour, after the hosts took exception to earlier post-match pitch invasions, there were repeated …Mon Jul 02 2001 - 01:00
Lions back row options limited as Charvis is banned for two weeksDonal Lenihan confirmed yesterday that Colin Charvis had received "a one-week suspension which is in effect a two-match ban" …Mon Jul 02 2001 - 01:00
The Irish connectionIt's hard not to be parochial about these things, but as was the case four years ago, the sense of pride in the Lions was sure…Mon Jul 02 2001 - 01:00
Wallabies rusty but Lions have the hungerThis is it then: the world champions against the best Britain and Ireland can throw at themSat Jun 30 2001 - 01:00
The Lions settle for an Irish centreThe vibes are bad and the ill-luck continues by the day, whereas the hosts are all smiles and all healthThu Jun 28 2001 - 01:00
Henry frustrated but ready to box onDavid Wallace was en route from Dublin to Poland with the Irish squad for their close-season training camp when they stopped …Wed Jun 27 2001 - 01:00
Dirt-trackers all too dustyA giant, concrete banana is a tourist landmark round here, and in this instance it served as an apt metaphor for the LionsWed Jun 27 2001 - 01:00
Macqueen on new charm offensiveRecognising that perhaps things have got slightly out of hand, the Australian coach, Rod Macqueen, appeared to be adopting a …Tue Jun 26 2001 - 01:00
Death of official saddens LionsNot even news of Keith Wood's reported improvement, and the increased possibility of him being fit for Saturday's first test, …Tue Jun 26 2001 - 01:00
Pride can offset the lack of timeAs the Waratahs came back to within a score of the Lions amid the night's first chants of "New South Wales" and threatened to…Mon Jun 25 2001 - 01:00
Aussies try to justify assault{TEXT} Anger within the Lions' camp over Duncan McRae's punches and the general Australian reaction won't have subsided on seeing…Mon Jun 25 2001 - 01:00
Big game for many big namesThe Lions tour ground to a halt last Tuesday, and it's been a long week since thenSat Jun 23 2001 - 01:00
Howe leaves Hickie in the wingsThat hastily arranged, Good Friday match between Munster and the rest of Ireland - in part European Cup warm-up, in part final…Fri Jun 22 2001 - 01:00
Coaches accuse Lions of cheatingThe phoney war gathers pace as accusations in the Australian media of supposed Lions wrongdoings continue daily; indeed it just…Fri Jun 22 2001 - 01:00
Henderson's Test chances take a hitGraham Henry yesterday unveiled the skeleton of his Test side with what he hopes is a bit of meat on it for Saturday's last significant…Thu Jun 21 2001 - 01:00
Lessons to be learned fast as pack licks its woundsPutting a positive spin on this one would have tested even the best spin doctors and about the only encouraging signs Graham …Wed Jun 20 2001 - 01:00
Front role a reverse for O'Kelly's Test hopesA host of Lions players will either be making their first or second starts of the tour today against Australia A, yet suddenly…Tue Jun 19 2001 - 01:00
Ireland game a trip into the unknownThe Ireland under-21s take a relative step into the unknown in the Sydney Showgrounds tomorrow (kick-off 3 p.m. local, 6 a.mTue Jun 19 2001 - 01:00
Lenihan rejects accusations of Lions intimidationAustralia `A' coach Eddie Jones has upped the ante ahead of this morning's match with the Lions (10.30 a.mTue Jun 19 2001 - 01:00
Lions draw sting from Queensland punchesHas Rod Macqueen plotted the ultimate con job? If this was the second best sub-international side in Australia then the rest …Mon Jun 18 2001 - 01:00
Healey gets his chance at lastThis being the shortest tour with the biggest squad, the pressure on individuals that comes with limited opportunities was always…Mon Jun 18 2001 - 01:00
Tourists likely to get better of RedsBy about 9.0 p.m. Aussie time, or noon Irish time, we should have a clearer idea of what these Lions are aboutSat Jun 16 2001 - 01:00
Hat-trick Henderson on highAs the Lions jetted down the Queensland coast from Townsville to Brisbane on Wednesday, the plane journey might have been an …Sat Jun 16 2001 - 01:00
Henderson gets chance to make Test caseThe Lions chilled out to the last minute of their stay in Townsville yesterday, seemingly intent on absorbing every last ray …Thu Jun 14 2001 - 01:00
Crisis over ere you could say Jason RobinsonMini-crisis? What mini-crisis? As Donal Lenihan ventured afterwards, there are moments in a tour which become defining and while…Wed Jun 13 2001 - 01:00
