Cranfield becomes Pope's saviourAt about 5.30 yesterday evening, St Mary's College were able to unearth a player to help solve the injury jinx which has sidelined…Sat Dec 02 2000 - 00:00
St Mary's have to dig deep to find a propSOS. Wanted: one junior prop, ideally two, available to play rugby tomorrowFri Dec 01 2000 - 00:00
Clubs can embrace new realityNext Friday, the IRFU committee will try to address the vexed issue of what to do with the clubsTue Nov 28 2000 - 00:00
Anderson favourite to succeed WilliamsA shortlist of five candidates will be interviewed for the coaching director's job at Ulster by a panel of IRFU and Ulster Branch…Sat Nov 25 2000 - 00:00
Irish watch stand-off with interestMany of Ireland's current internationals will have noted the tumultuous stand-off between their English counterparts and Twickenham…Thu Nov 23 2000 - 00:00
Captain's comments leave bad aftertasteAlthough the Springboks have since relocated to Wales for the second leg of their European tour, a simmering row has continued…Wed Nov 22 2000 - 00:00
Touch of finesse indicates progressIf there was one moment in Sunday's Test which perhaps confirmed Ireland's sea-change since Twickenham last February, it came…Tue Nov 21 2000 - 00:00
IRFU row in with BertieBowlThe IRFU have given their strongest and most unequivocal commitment yet to the Government's proposed national stadiumTue Nov 21 2000 - 00:00
Ireland still hunting the true killer instinctIt was once said that a Lansdowne Road crowd was satisfied if they saw an Irish team play with heart and style and gave it a …Mon Nov 20 2000 - 00:00
Creatively on the right trackAnother one that got away undoubtedly, which will add to Ireland's frustrationMon Nov 20 2000 - 00:00
Big performance the major priorityLogically, analytically, statistically, historically and most other ways you look at it, South Africa still have to be favourites…Sat Nov 18 2000 - 00:00
Viljoen's vision put to the TestHe's made millions selling insurance and assets in turn, and now the Springbok coach, Harry Viljoen, is attempting to sell something…Fri Nov 17 2000 - 00:00
Miller and Longwell win in pack reshuffleTime was when a victory of any manner would have been a good enough reason for leaving well enough alone, never mind one by 69…Wed Nov 15 2000 - 00:00
Test of Irish A levelsTwo years ago Ireland showed they could compete with South Africa for the guts of 80 minutes and at least make life difficult…Wed Nov 15 2000 - 00:00
South Africa recall Mulder for A gameOllie Le Roux will lead the Springbok midweek team against Ireland A in Thomond Park tomorrow while Gavin Passens, Craig Davidson…Tue Nov 14 2000 - 00:00
Optimism needs to be kept in checkConfirmation that the Springboks were pushed to the wire by Argentina in winning 37-33 at the River Plate Stadium on Sunday might…Tue Nov 14 2000 - 00:00
Just a good quality training runBetter than being slapped in the face with a wet fish, as Monty Python might put it, and better, too, than another run-out at…Mon Nov 13 2000 - 00:00
Murphy pays for unsure displayThe Irish management have reacted to the 78-9 victory over Japan on Saturday by demoting Geordan Murphy to the A team for next…Mon Nov 13 2000 - 00:00
Irish plan solid start and stylish finishingPacey, inventive and utterly game, Japan have been the entertainers, even drawing the admiration of opposing fans as well as …Sat Nov 11 2000 - 00:00
Costello, Mostyn called in from coldThough notionally a development team, such are the blasts from the past that the Irish A squad to play the Springboks next Wednesday…Thu Nov 09 2000 - 00:00
Leinster pair move centre stage for IrelandRare indeed is the opening selectorial offering of the season so changed - nine positional and two in personnel from the draw…Wed Nov 08 2000 - 00:00
Leinster scale the learning curveThe auld interpros have come a long way baby, and it hardly needed another Donnybrook Experience to underline thatTue Nov 07 2000 - 00:00
Irish squad train indoorsNot surprisingly, on a day you wouldn't put the cat out, the Irish management took a similarly benign approach to Ireland's finest…Tue Nov 07 2000 - 00:00
England plan picks at old soresA leaked internal English Rugby Union (RFU) document, which questions the validity and credibility of the Six Nations Accord, …Mon Nov 06 2000 - 00:00
Easterby sidelined for six weeksThe Llanelli and Irish scrum-half Guy Easterby sustained a broken leg when briefly appearing as a replacement for his club on…Mon Nov 06 2000 - 00:00
Burke suffers broken armPaul Burke, the one-time Irish international out-half who was in line for a recall to the Irish A squad to play the South Africans…Fri Nov 03 2000 - 00:00
Pride enough to fuel fierce rivals' battleSo much for the match that meant nothingFri Nov 03 2000 - 00:00
Ulster v Connacht (Ravenhill 7.30)Ravenhill marks the first of the Harry Williams farewells tonight when the White Knights will no doubt endeavour to give him …Fri Nov 03 2000 - 00:00
Murphy and Howe on thresholdThe first Irish 24-man squad selection of the season duly rewards form players, contains a degree of youthful experimentation…Tue Oct 31 2000 - 00:00
Turning up on our doorstep too oftenJust when it was nicely coming to the boil, they go and turn off the heat, instead putting on something elseTue Oct 31 2000 - 00:00
Galwey out of Japanese matchMick Galwey's strained medial knee ligaments, sustained during Munster's defeat in Bath, will almost certainly rule him out of…Mon Oct 30 2000 - 00:00
Munster still well in controlThe ne'er sayers have been warning of a day like this for Munster, and by the law of averages they had to be right eventually…Mon Oct 30 2000 - 00:00
Catch-up rugby suits LeinsterOn a calm, crackling night in Donnybrook, Leinster made themselves and a near capacity crowd sweat and palpitate before finally…Sat Oct 28 2000 - 01:00
Leinster v NorthamptonAre the mercurial ones about to deliver? Largely out of sight but not out of mind, they made a huge statement last weekend in…Fri Oct 27 2000 - 01:00
Rugby digestAn IRFU tribunal last night heard a test case in which Terenure College alleged that Clontarf and Old Wesley had breached new…Thu Oct 26 2000 - 01:00
If only it was like this all the timeA month ago at Musgrave Park after Munster had clinched the interprovincial crown by overcoming Ulster in a titanic struggle, …Tue Oct 24 2000 - 01:00
Bath unable to contain Munster in full flowIt's as if they can turn it on like a tapMon Oct 23 2000 - 01:00
Clean sweep for WelshNo less than in Ireland, they were singing in the valleys over the weekendMon Oct 23 2000 - 01:00
Carlow continue to set the early paceCarlow, a junior club three seasons ago, continued their remarkable ascent up the AIB league ladder by maintaining one of only…Mon Oct 23 2000 - 01:00
Good times for provincesUlster couldn't quite complete a hat-trick of famous Irish wins over a triumvirate of former Heineken European Cup champions …Mon Oct 23 2000 - 01:00
Thomond roar must be harnessed once moreIf this doesn't get the ticker going then the batteries need rechargingSat Oct 21 2000 - 01:00
European Cup lifts Irish standardsDeclan Kidney, the Munster manager, likens it all to shifting a boulderTue Oct 17 2000 - 01:00
Never-say-die Munster come back and steal French spoilsWhen you know how to win you don't know how to loseMon Oct 16 2000 - 01:00
Castres v Munster - Toulouse 6.30The few survivors of Munster's one previous journey to Castres, five years ago, all remember it as one of the most intimidating…Sat Oct 14 2000 - 01:00
Hayes only doubt for MunsterThe contrast between Munster's latest European Cup odyssey abroad and their last one, admittedly the final at Twickenham in May…Fri Oct 13 2000 - 01:00
Everything turning to green and goldLast Saturday at Thomond Park it's doubtful whether any Irish rugby player has looked more contented with his lot than Mick Galwey…Wed Oct 11 2000 - 01:00
