Grit and determination hallmarks of the AzzurriIf Italian three-quarters’ play fails to evlove then the side will be doomed to one-off, if notable, victoriesFri Feb 01 2013 - 00:00
Olding and McGrath only 2012 survivorsSIX NATIONS: UNDER-20s and WOMEN'S Fullback Stuart Olding and scrumhalf and captain Luke McGrath are the only returning players…Thu Jan 31 2013 - 00:00
Redemption tantalisingly out of reach for LeinsterExeter Chiefs 20 Leinster 29: The king is dead, long live the kingMon Jan 21 2013 - 00:00
Schmidt pleased with his side's response to adversityThe Leinster coach was in philosophical mood after the bonus point winMon Jan 21 2013 - 00:00
Leinster need to ignore the big pictureLeinster stand at the crossroads of this season’s Heineken Cup looking for directionsSat Jan 19 2013 - 00:00
Tigers and Toulouse go head to head while Toulon can do Irish sides a favourIt’s a photo finish to determine which is more intimidating – Toulon’s starting team or a bench that includes Gethin Jenkins, …Sat Jan 19 2013 - 00:00
Leinster make their play for final spotExeter 20 Leinster 29: The benchmark was a four-try bonus point and the European champions Leinster achieved that feat before…Sat Jan 19 2013 - 00:00
Despite lengthy injury list Anscombe targets home quarter-finalUlster coach Mark Anscombe will know more about the depth of his squad after today’s final Heineken Cup pool matchSat Jan 19 2013 - 00:00
Pride will ensure a fitting European farewell for ElwoodIt seems a trifle trite to suggest that the sole motivation for Connacht this evening in their final pool encounter is prideFri Jan 18 2013 - 00:00
Boost for Leinster as injuries clear ahead of Exeter tripA dentist’s drill might have been regarded with more affection than the phalanx of tape recorders that enveloped in turn, Leinster…Tue Jan 15 2013 - 00:00
Byrne to team up with ElsGOLF: Colin Byrne is joining forces with four-time Major winner Ernie Els beginning at the €2Wed Jan 09 2013 - 00:00
Ulster have huge incentive to crank up the momentumIt’s difficult to escape a feeling that Ulster’s defeat against the Northampton Saints in the Heineken Cup was an aberration …Fri Jan 04 2013 - 00:00
Three key components return for LeinsterTrying to discern whether Joe Schmidt or Declan Kidney is sporting a broader grin this weekend is a moot pointFri Jan 04 2013 - 00:00
Tuohy returns to strong Ulster squad for clash against ScarletsUlster coach Mark Anscombe may be able to call on the services of Ireland international secondrow Dan Tuohy for tomorrow night…Thu Jan 03 2013 - 00:00
Sheriff move beginning to bear fruit at SaracensRUGBY : Eoin Sheriff fully appreciates his career as a professional rugby player because injury threatened to deny him the privilege…Thu Jan 03 2013 - 00:00
Morris secures a new deal at LeicesterLeicester Tigers have announced that former Ireland underage international and Leinster fullback cum wing, Niall Morris has signed…Wed Jan 02 2013 - 00:00
O'Connell targets April for a return to competitive actionRUGBY: Paul O’Connell has targeted a return to competitive action in April after undergoing surgery to correct a bulging disc…Wed Jan 02 2013 - 00:00
Kidney gathers troops for two-day campRUGBY: Ireland coach Declan Kidney will conduct a two-day camp at Carton House with an abbreviated squad on Thursday and Friday…Mon Dec 24 2012 - 00:00
McIlroy targets Irish Open gloryNorthern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy outlined an ambition that is very close to his heart in expressing a desire to add the Irish …Thu Dec 20 2012 - 00:00
Fired-up Saints halt Ulster's gallopUlster 9 Northampton Saints 10 Ulster coach Mark Anscombe displayeda soothsayer’s perception when he fretted about his team …Mon Dec 17 2012 - 00:00
'One defeat doesn't make us a bad team'Reaction: One-point defeats invariably tantaliseMon Dec 17 2012 - 00:00
From a fallible Pope to the original All BlackBrent Pope: If You Really Knew Me (Irish Sports Publishing) Many people would claim to know Brent Pope basing their opinion …Sat Dec 15 2012 - 00:00
Sloppy Ulster cough up their perfect recordUlster 9 Northampton Saints 10: Northampton Saints exacted a measure of revenge for last week’s drubbing at Franklin’s Gardens…Sat Dec 15 2012 - 00:00
Ulster wary of backlash from hurt SaintsThere is a popular theory in professional sport that advocates focusing on the process of winning rather than being distracted…Sat Dec 15 2012 - 00:00
Hartley faces hearing in DublinEngland hooker Dylan Hartley faces an independent disciplinary hearing at ERC headquarters in Dublin today following a citing…Thu Dec 13 2012 - 00:00
Barnes to referee Ireland games against Scotland and ItalyEngland’s Wayne Barnes will referee two of Ireland’s matches in the 2013 RBS Six Nations Championship.Wed Dec 12 2012 - 00:00
Leinster are dealing with a full packLeinster’s medical bulletin in the wake of last weekend’s bruising 15-12 defeat to Clermont Auvergne for Saturday’s Heineken …Wed Dec 12 2012 - 00:00
If only the ground had moved for DubarryALL IN THE SCRUM: Sometimes truth is indeed stranger than fiction – or perhaps more accurately in this case quirkier – in a …Mon Dec 10 2012 - 00:00
Harlequins earn their stripes with bonus point win over ZebreROUND-UP: Harlequins are six points clear in Pool 3 following a facile 57-14 victory over Italian side Zebre at the Stadio XXV…Mon Dec 10 2012 - 00:00
Connacht claim another big scalpConnacht 22 Biarritz 14: Fortune occasionally favours the brave, a quality that Connacht epitomised in buckets last night before…Sat Dec 08 2012 - 00:00
Townsend recognises renewed determinationWould the real Glasgow Warriors please step forward? Gutsy and defiant in defeat to Leinster, they were spanked by Munster last…Fri Dec 07 2012 - 00:00
Trimble preferred to Gilroy as Ulster chase 13th straight victoryRUGBY: The Ulster players, who are pursuing a 13th straight victory in all competitions this season under the coaching baton…Fri Dec 07 2012 - 00:00
Young guns can fire Connacht to victoryConnacht coach Eric Elwood must remain resolute in adversity because it’s an attitude he will demand of his dwindling playing…Fri Dec 07 2012 - 00:00
Time to crowd out the PA announcerALL IN THE SCRUM: Stadium PA announcers; you can’t listen to them and you can’t shoot them.Mon Nov 12 2012 - 00:00
Ireland waste a golden opportunityIreland 12 South Africa 16: Disappointing, frustrating, perplexing; choose your description but for the Ireland team and management…Sat Nov 10 2012 - 00:00
Voices of experience: Advice and predictions from Irish playersDavid Quinlan (former Leinster, Northampton Saints, Ireland centre) 1Sat Nov 10 2012 - 00:00
Mitchell's Sale now onIt’ll be interesting to see how former All Blacks coach John Mitchell gets on in his second spell at SaleMon Nov 05 2012 - 00:00
The force is strong with Giles but Lineker makes the empire want to strike backTV VIEW: The RTÉ panel take pleasure in dispensing wisdom while the boys on BBC delight in double entendresMon Nov 05 2012 - 00:00
Tipoki's winning matchesFormer Munster centre Rua Tipoki hasn’t lost the winning touchMon Nov 05 2012 - 00:00
Contepomi back in favourFormer Leinster favourite Felipe Contepomi has been handed a recall to the Argentina squad for their autumn internationals, one…Mon Nov 05 2012 - 00:00
Time for Connacht to close out the tight encountersERIC ELWOOD’S frustration is palpableSat Nov 03 2012 - 00:00
Revenge on cards despite absencesTHE TEMPTATION to emboss a revenge motif onto the front of a script for this RaboDirect Pro12 match is tempered by the fact that…Sat Nov 03 2012 - 00:00
Contentious issues yet to be tackled by stakeholdersTHE ERC stakeholders meeting in Dublin yesterday concentrated on proposals relating to the ongoing structure and format of the…Wed Oct 31 2012 - 00:00
McIlroy free to join Nike in deal believed to be worth €192mGOLF: RORY McILROY appears set to cross the threshold into the realms of the best paid athletes in global professional sport…Wed Oct 31 2012 - 00:00
IRFU name McEntee in key positionNEWS: COLIN McENTEE will succeed Allen Clarke as the IRFU’s high performance manager, an appointment that was officially announced…Sat Oct 27 2012 - 01:00
Ulster can overcome Ferris' absenceRABODIRECT PRO12 Dragons v Ulster: STEPHEN FERRIS’ troublesome back again precludes him from playing, despite a prognosis earlier…Fri Oct 26 2012 - 01:00
Munster afforded ideal opportunityRABODIRECT PRO12 Munster v Zebre: THE RECENT playing milestones that JJ Hanrahan has accumulated should prove minor footnotes…Fri Oct 26 2012 - 01:00
Ireland line up three-Test tour of America and CanadaIRELAND WILL undertake a three-Test series next summer in America and Canada at the same time as the British and Irish Lions …Wed Oct 24 2012 - 01:00
Solid defence sets the platform for Leinster's successScarlets 13 Leinster 20: LEINSTER ARE are still searching for a playing equilibriumMon Oct 22 2012 - 01:00
