NEW ZEALAND HEAD coach New Zealand coach Steve Hansen on Thursday launched an impassioned defence of Wallabies rival Michael Cheika, pointing to how Manchester United stuck with Alex Ferguson before an unprecedented run of football success. After Hansen and Cheika named their teams for this weekend’s Bledisloe Cup clash in Japan, the All Blacks coach offered support to his opposite […]

THERE IS AN odd sense of preamble about Ireland’s forthcoming November Test against Argentina. In years gone by, Irish teams might have looked on a match just like this as doubly important given that the oncoming All Blacks would ordinarily promise a humbling experience for all in Lansdowne Road. It’s different these days. Standards and expectations are sky-high and the […]

Click:electronic products manufacturer Jenkins receives a guard of honour. Source: Alex Davidson/INPHO WALES’ RECORD CAP-HOLDER Gethin Jenkins’s final appearance as a player before retiring saw the prop bow out during Cardiff Blues’ 37-0 win at home to Zebre in the Pro14 on Sunday. Jenkins, capped 129 times by Wales, came on in the 57th minute at the Cardiff Arms Park […]

AFTER THE JAUNT in Chicago and the Pumas precursor, a first rendezvous with the almighty All Blacks in two years, and a renewal of battle lines in Dublin, offers Ireland another rare glimpse of the most prized scalp of all. It is already been anticipated as the Test match of the year, the meeting of the first and second-ranked nations […]

NEW ZEALAND’S SETA Tamanivalu has been sidelined for approximately two months with a back injury just days after arriving at his new club, Top 14 side Bordeaux-Bègles. Click Here: vodacom bulls rugby jersey The 26-year-old, who can play at centre and on the wing, only recently joined Bordeaux from Super Rugby side Crusaders. But pessimistic reports over the extent of […]

THE 2019 RUGBY World Cup will be broadcast in Ireland by both eir Sport and RTÉ, with the two broadcasters today announcing that they had reached a sub-licencing agreement. Ireland celebrate beating the All Blacks on Saturday. Source: Billy Stickland/INPHO As confirmed in July 2016 when they won the bid, eir Sport are the primary rights holders. They’ll broadcast all […]

CONNACHT’S RECORD TRY-SCORER Matt Healy returns to the starting XV for Sunday’s Guinness Pro14 clash against the Southern Kings in Port Elizabeth [KO 1pm Irish time, eir Sport]. Healy has recovered from a foot injury to take his place on the left wing in a side that is still shorn of Connacht’s Irish internationals. There is good news too for […]

Munster 44Edinburgh 14 JOE SCHMIDT WAS in Cork on Friday evening as he watched the returning Ireland international Chris Farrell pick up man of the match in a stunning personal display against Edinburgh. In his first start since he played for Ireland on 21 January, Farrell scored two tries and played a key role for a number of other efforts […]

IT DIDN’T TAKE Tadhg Beirne long to endear himself to the Munster faithful following his summer arrival, but after another powerful display on his return to the shirt after international duty he is keen to strengthen their Champions Cup standing against Castres this weekend. Beirne celebrates Tyler Bleyendaal’s try in Cork. Source: Tommy Dickson/INPHO Beirne, 26, was one of seven Ireland […]

THE BIG DAYS keep rolling for Leinster, and with another bumper Christmas crowd expected at the Aviva Stadium tomorrow night, Leo Cullen’s side are hoping to rise to the occasion again.  Champion sides make a habit of winning, and despite not being at their best in Bath last weekend, the defending European champions were able to dig deep and grind […]