Brive meet PontypriddThe convoluted qualifying procedures for the knock-out stages of the Heineken European Cup were finally resolved yesterday and…Mon Oct 13 1997 - 01:00
Connacht bandwagon to keep rolling onIf it's Saturday then it must be "the biggest game in Connacht's historySat Oct 11 1997 - 01:00
Round-UpEntering the last round of pool matches, only Wasps are guaranteed a quarter-final place while only three teams, Milan, Munster…Sat Oct 11 1997 - 01:00
Thomond awaits hero WoodsHail the return of the conquering hero? Well, maybe not quiteSat Oct 11 1997 - 01:00
Settled Connacht to field same sideIn characteristic fashion for probably the most settled side in either European competition this season, Connacht will field …Fri Oct 10 1997 - 01:00
Intensive care still needed for Irish gameWith the final examination of the Irish in the European Cup due this Saturday, sadly it's not too premature to deliver a final…Tue Oct 07 1997 - 01:00
Key to Connacht success smells like team spiritNews came through of Nice's failure to beat Northampton at about 9.00 in Galwegians Rugby Club on Saturday nightMon Oct 06 1997 - 01:00
Leinster v MilanThere should be no mistaking Leinster's vengeful mood at Donnybrook this afternoon when they seek to eradicate the memory of …Sat Oct 04 1997 - 01:00
Cup Round-UpKeith Wood will confine himself to a place on the bench for the return meeting between Pool D leaders Harlequins and Cardiff …Sat Oct 04 1997 - 01:00
Ulster exit kitchen as Wasps turn up the heatAnother enjoyable night at Ravenhill, English drawing power ensuring a huge crowd and the hint of a vintage night at the venue…Sat Oct 04 1997 - 01:00
Connacht's time for a killThe biggest game in Connacht's history, again, and, pending the result at the Spotsground this afternoon, there might be more…Sat Oct 04 1997 - 01:00
Leinster add strengthLeinster have made two changes for their return meeting at home to Milan tomorrowFri Oct 03 1997 - 01:00
Connacht's Cup runneth over as provinces go dryThere are many ways of measuring Connacht's extraordinary progress this seasonWed Oct 01 1997 - 01:00
Quinlan's efforts are rewardedMan of the moment Alan Quinlan, along with Reggie Corrigan and Brian Cusack are the latest additions to the Irish squad for tomorrow…Tue Sept 30 1997 - 01:00
Cissies of the world uniteLike the released convict on parole, rugby behaved itself with model deportment last weekendTue Sept 30 1997 - 01:00
Munster give everything but get nothingIn the cruel and harsh, yet very real world of the European Cup, Munster have so much to extract from this raw-boned occasion…Mon Sept 29 1997 - 01:00
Munster to revel in a real meaty encounterNow we're getting into the meat of this European CupSat Sept 27 1997 - 01:00
Pontypridd and Brive the focus of attentionThese things being relative, the players and coaches of Leinster, Munster, Ulster and Connacht have it easySat Sept 27 1997 - 01:00
Minimum changes for European tiesMunster, Ulster and Connacht keep changes to a minimum for their European home ties tomorrow against Cardiff, Swansea and Nice…Fri Sept 26 1997 - 01:00
Simon says he's back for IrelandAnother Wednesday and another productive Irish squad sessionThu Sept 25 1997 - 01:00
Munster relishing visit of CardiffFar from being devalued by the recent exodus of players across channel, Irish sides have competed pretty well in the European…Wed Sept 24 1997 - 01:00
Confident Connacht getting right mixIf it is true that Irish rugby could theoretically be one of the main beneficiaries from the advent of professionalism and the…Tue Sept 23 1997 - 01:00
Leinster form dips severelyTo say that this Leinster defeat sticks in the craw would be an understatementMon Sept 22 1997 - 01:00
Leinster set to win againPraiseworthy though the performance against Toulouse was, and brilliant though the victory against Leicester was, that opening…Sat Sept 20 1997 - 01:00
Self-discipline is the order of day for LeinsterFiguratively, the Heineken Cup is getting a little hot under the collar, and, literally, at any rate, nowhere will it be warmer…Sat Sept 20 1997 - 01:00
Munster look to KeaneMark McDermott and Shane Leahy return to the Munster starting line-up for tomorrow's Heineken Cup Pool D tie against Bourgoin…Fri Sept 19 1997 - 01:00
Leinster stick with winning blendPresumably the Leinster management could pick their team from opposite sides of the street nowadaysWed Sept 17 1997 - 01:00
Staples ponders clouded futureJim Staples, last season's Irish captain, will almost certainly miss the first of the national squad's weekly Wednesday training…Tue Sept 16 1997 - 01:00
Professionalism begins to yield rewardsFor much of the 90s, and before, the advent of professionalism sparked enough gnashing of teeth for a dentists' conventionTue Sept 16 1997 - 01:00
Munster authors off their own misfortuneWhile the scoreline never lies, it sometimes has a funny way of not telling the truth eitherMon Sept 15 1997 - 01:00
Four added to squadBrian Ashton has added four players to the contracted national squad of 35 for the first of the weekly training sessions near…Mon Sept 15 1997 - 01:00
Fired-up Leinster need to get breaksNext up Leicester then, whose team of internationals and Lions take on Leinster this eveningFri Sept 12 1997 - 01:00
Leinster face starry LeicesterLeicester include 10 internationals from five countries in their line-up for tomorrow evening's European Cup tie with Leinster…Thu Sept 11 1997 - 01:00
Elwood the maestro in Connacht's finest hourGrown men who had seen a few good days but mostly bad ones were moved to tears of joy, as Connacht delivered the biggest competitive…Wed Sept 10 1997 - 01:00
No return for positive playIrish Rugby, and Ulster in particular, wanted something more tangible than another encouraging Heineken Cup display but despite…Tue Sept 09 1997 - 01:00
Irish patients show signs of recoveryForget all this gloom and doom then, let's have some bloom and boom? In what may well have been a revealing barometer of the …Tue Sept 09 1997 - 01:00
Preview - Connacht V Northampton, Sportsground, 3.0Connacht today square up to Ian McGeechan's Northampton and their pride of Lions encouraged by and mindful of their meeting with…Tue Sept 09 1997 - 01:00
Regrets for improved LeinsterTo lose to Toulouse is no crime, and Leinster could justifiably take heart from a predictably much improved performance at Donnybrook…Mon Sept 08 1997 - 01:00
Cissies of the world uniteLike the released convict on parole, rugby behaved itself with model deportment last weekendSat Sept 06 1997 - 01:00
Quinlan's efforts are rewardedMan of the moment Alan Quinlan, along with Reggie Corrigan and Brian Cusack are the latest additions to the Irish squad for tomorrow…Sat Sept 06 1997 - 01:00
Players sign contractsThe Irish international contracts for the coming season were signed in Dublin yesterdayFri Sept 05 1997 - 01:00
Deylaud is fit to take on LeinsterAs expected, the mercurial former French out-half Christophe Deylaud has been declared fit to play his first game of the season…Fri Sept 05 1997 - 01:00
Munster drop Foley and WallaceA barometer of Munster's worsening form in five games this season is the decision by the selectors to reshuffle their side radically…Thu Sept 04 1997 - 01:00