THE WALLABIES ARE “hungry” to snap a 17-year Bledisloe Cup drought, coach Michael Cheika warned today as he savours the chance to inflict back-to-back defeats on the All Blacks. His team stunned the world champions 47-26 in Perth last weekend and head to Auckland needing another win to claim the trans-Tasman silverware for the first time since 2002. An All […]

THIS IS WHERE it all started for Josh van der Flier. This is where the journey began. Tucked away on a meandering country road flanked by fields and farmland, Wicklow Rugby Club’s towering floodlights stand tall over the surrounding lands. The entrance is concealed, only distinguishable by the brown road sign outside, and as the drive-way widens you’re greeted by […]

Mixed news for Jaco Taute and Darren Sweetnam Source: INPHO MUNSTER HAVE CONFIRMED that Jaco Taute will be staying with the province until June this year but they are going to have to plan without the injured Darren Sweetnam for the next six weeks. Springbok Taute’s loan period has been extended, which is good news for the province as Sweetnam […]

LEON CULLEN HAS hailed his team for securing a home quarter-final in the Champions Cup, but the Leinster head coach has said that they’re still three wins away from achieving their ultimate aim. After the pool stages of the competition concluded over the weekend, Leinster will welcome Wasps to Dublin for a quarter-final clash on the weekend of 31 March-2 […]

IT’S THAT TIME of the year again, and the excitement is building ahead of the opening weekend of the 2017 Six Nations. As always, there are so many intriguing subplots set to be played out over the course of the next two months but at the end of the day it’s all about who will be lifting the trophy come […]

Scotland 27 Ireland 22 Murray Kinsella reports from Murrayfield IRELAND PUT THEMSELVES in a position to earn a comeback victory over Scotland on the opening day of the Six Nations, but will instead leave Edinburgh with their championship hopes severely dented. Joe Schmidt’s side have a dire first half to blame, as their error count and narrow defence allowed the […]

NIGEL OWENS HAS sought to provide clarity over new directives concerning high tackles in rugby union and insists there is absolutely no desire to remove big hits from the sport. Last December, World Rugby confirmed the introduction of measures aimed at limiting both reckless and accidental contact with the head, with illegal tackle categories redefined and sanctions to deter high tackles increased. Yet Owens […]

HomeIrish international footballer Anthony Stokes has been ordered to pay €230,000 in damages to an Elvis impersonator he headbutted and seriously injured in a Leeson Street nightclub.Connacht coach Pat Lam has hit back at Steve Hansen after the All Blacks boss labelled him an ex-New Zealander.Ireland out-half Joey Carbery will make his first start in more than two months as […]

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WE’RE PAST THE halfway stage of the Six Nations. Only six fixtures are left on the schedule and England’s lead approaching the 18 March finish line is not what they had hoped it would be. As the competition heads into its second and last down week before the climactic final rounds, here’s who stood out for us in round three. […]