Landsdowne Verdict`It underlined to me how seven days is a long time in sport, from 4Mon Feb 08 1999 - 00:00
Angry rugby manager denies drug test claim on playerThe Irish rugby team manager has reacted angrily to telephone calls from a British Sunday newspaper the night before Saturday…Mon Feb 08 1999 - 00:00
Opportunity knocksHere we go again. Another Five Nations Championship, and hope springs eternal once moreSat Feb 06 1999 - 00:00
French felled as fiery Woods shows the wayThe curtain-raiser certainly commanded a good performance from the Irish A team at Donnybrook last eveningSat Feb 06 1999 - 00:00
Lenihan only too aware of France's capabilitiesAs what seems like the 12th new dawn in 12 years nears for Irish rugby, Donal Lenihan yesterday sought to play down increasing…Fri Feb 05 1999 - 00:00
Stakes high for A teamAs ever, international weekend wouldn't be the same without the customary appetisers, and the tastiest aperitif to tomorrow's…Fri Feb 05 1999 - 00:00
Humphreys at number 10At around 3.0 p.m. in Dr Hickey Park yesterday, some 30 minutes into the Irish squad session, David Humphreys lined up among …Wed Feb 03 1999 - 00:00
Ward likely to miss French gameRight on cue for the arrival of February, spring was in the air for the start of Ireland's pre-match preparations yesterday in…Tue Feb 02 1999 - 00:00
Out-half issue no longer cut and driedPrior to the start of yesterday's press conference in the Glenview Hotel, Warren Gatland wrote on the noticeboard: "who is at…Tue Feb 02 1999 - 00:00
Sweet dreams are made of thisAs an addendum, nay an afterthought, the Ulster players each received £2,000 for reaching the final of the European Cup, as well…Mon Feb 01 1999 - 00:00
Ulster complete European odysseyGreat occasion and great result. Not a great match but then, who cares? Certainly Ulster and Ireland didn'tMon Feb 01 1999 - 00:00
Ulster set for their finest hourThe moment of truth. Ulster await their finest hour, and the possibility of sporting immortality to list among the pantheon occupied…Sat Jan 30 1999 - 00:00
Ulster trying to shake off tag of favouritesThe countdown to Saturday's eagerly anticipated European Cup final at Lansdowne Road gathered momentum yesterday, albeit with…Thu Jan 28 1999 - 00:00
Selectors opt for settled squadThe Irish management's first squad for the Five Nations Championship scarcely warrants a quizical glanceThu Jan 28 1999 - 00:00
Debunking the myth of schools' rugbyWay, way back in time - when John Major was still a trapeze artist, Charlie Haughey a political artist and Ireland were still…Tue Jan 26 1999 - 00:00
Surprises unlikely in Irish squad to faceThe Irish management will gather this afternoon to select both the 22man senior squad for the Five Nations' opener against France…Tue Jan 26 1999 - 00:00
Solid Buccaneers are contendersOn a day which shook up the established order in the AIB League first division, this result could have a very significant bearing…Mon Jan 25 1999 - 00:00
Sell-out final is biggest yetAt precisely 3.52 yesterday afternoon in the busy foyer of 62 Lansdowne Road the European Cup final became a sell-out, thereby…Thu Jan 21 1999 - 00:00
Dungannon tie offFollowing a request from the Ulster Branch, and the prospect of both Ballymena and Dungannon being without their Ulster contingents…Thu Jan 21 1999 - 00:00
Gatland welcomes out-half rivalryThe 26-man Irish squad said goodbye to each other for the last of their occasional non-Championship get togethers in Galway yesterday…Wed Jan 20 1999 - 00:00
Cloud hangs over training session in ConnemaraBy the end of a resourceful day in the rain-sodden west, the cloud which hung over the Irish squad get-together in Galway proved…Tue Jan 19 1999 - 00:00
English game on brink of collapseSince brinkmanship is the customary tactic in modern day rugby, the latest stand-off between the Five Nations and the English…Tue Jan 19 1999 - 00:00
Awesome Shannon destroy LansdowneClanwilliam became a home from home on Saturday, Shannon putting their feet under the table and settling in nicelyMon Jan 18 1999 - 00:00
Shannon join the clanJust what Ulster wanted, if not what the AIB League organisers and Ballymena might have desiredSat Jan 16 1999 - 00:00
Byrne is left out by St Mary'sEmmet Byrne's sudden comedown, from the highs of his time with Leinster in the inter-pros and the European Cup, continue apace…Wed Jan 13 1999 - 00:00
Time for clubs to take a back seatBack in the late 80s Jim Davidson was a prophet in his own landTue Jan 12 1999 - 00:00
Proud Ulster march onIt gets better and better, and it wouldn't be stretching things to say this remarkable Ulster odyssey in the European Cup now…Mon Jan 11 1999 - 00:00
Ulster faithful book their date with destinyThey started the competition, and now they can finish itMon Jan 11 1999 - 00:00
Pressure on Ulster may be too greatToday's events at Raven hill are in essence something football super league moneymen can only dream aboutSat Jan 09 1999 - 00:00
Final in Dublin if Ulster advanceTom Kiernan, chairman of European Rugby Cup Ltd, yesterday confirmed that, if Ulster beat Stade Francais in this Saturday's European…Thu Jan 07 1999 - 00:00
Humphreys back at helmAlthough Harry Williams was not in a position to finalise his starting line-up for Saturday's semi-final against Stade Francais…Thu Jan 07 1999 - 00:00
Thomond Park still in crisisThe war of words between Shannon and the IRFU continued yesterday over the vexed state of Thomond Park in advance of today's …Tue Jan 05 1999 - 00:00
French loom large on Irish horizonWorld Cup year in any sport always adds an extra buzz of anticipation and for all the off-pitch political shenanigans which threaten…Mon Jan 04 1999 - 00:00
Miller backbones resurgent TerenureAnywhere else it might be called unpredictableMon Jan 04 1999 - 00:00
Shannon fury over washouts at ThomondAn element of high farce continues to surround the state of the Thomond Park pitch, leaving the AIB league champions Shannon …Sat Jan 02 1999 - 00:00
Getting better all the timeFor about the last year or so, the word on the Limerick grapevine was that Garryowen had the best thing since, well, crushed …Thu Dec 31 1998 - 00:00
Stade Francais object to Friday night dateUlster seem set to be granted their preferred option of a Friday night European Cup semi-final at Ravenhill on January 8th, judging…Tue Dec 22 1998 - 00:00
Sour taste remains over the drugs sagaIn a fairly eventful and controversial year, perhaps the biggest hiatus was the drugs saga of last monthTue Dec 22 1998 - 00:00
Shannon play it loose and win tight gameOn days like this you could almost believe in the AIB LeagueMon Dec 21 1998 - 00:00
Provinces not helped in quest for EuropeStrange things are starting to happen in the press box at the end of Ulster's matches - the last six of which have been wonTue Dec 15 1998 - 00:00
Worst way to end a seasonIn the final analysis, this still goes down as one of Munster's best ever seasons - inter-provincial champions and European Cup…Mon Dec 14 1998 - 00:00
Munster win battles but lose the warAs pure unadulterated rugby torture goes this was as painful as it getsMon Dec 14 1998 - 00:00
Ulster on the march"We'll have a semi-final with Munster in Lansdowne Road. Tell the others (the rest of Europe?) to get stuffed."Sat Dec 12 1998 - 00:00
Time for Munster to keep it tightIt's still funny to think that had Munster lost their last, academic pool game in Padova they would have been playing Ulster …Sat Dec 12 1998 - 00:00
