One hopes the Ulster star can get back for pre-season in the form and fitness that won him so many admirers. The final line of Ulster’s brief squad fitness update, ahead of a crucial clash with Edinburgh, contained a hammer blow. Dan McFarland’s head into another one of the season-defining games that usually arrive thick […]

7 years ago

‘What would Rory Best think?’ 10 months after retiring and those thoughts still swim through Andrew Trimble’s head whenever he puts himself out there or steps outside of his comfort zone. What would Rory think of that? Would would he say? Rory Best has been the towering figure and, in positive terms, influencer over the […]

7 years ago

12 competitive fixtures, 15 goals, 10 men. Manchester United and Barcelona have faced off 12 times in European action since their first meetings in the 1983/84 Cup Winners’ Cup. That competition is now on bricks but the rivalry has only grown. The two pulsating Champions League group games in the 1998/99 season will remain all-time […]

7 years ago

Tonight, Matthew, I’m going to become… MO SALAH! There was a touch of ‘Stars in Their Eyes’ about Jamie Carragher’s re-telling of Mo Salah’s strike, against Southampton, on Monday Night Football. As solo efforts go, this was a corker. Salah picked the ball up deep in the Liverpool half, after a Southampton corner, and pegged […]

7 years ago

Look at the final scoreline and one would assume Ulster took a pumping over at Scotstoun. 30-7 and outscored four tries to one, Glasgow Warriors clinched a home Guinness PRO14 semi-final by ruthlessly taking the chances that came their way. Having gone from a season’s high – performance-wise – against Leinster, this was a crash […]

7 years ago

“Hey mate. How’s things? Can I have your tickets for the weekend?!” No matter the sport, the moment a big game or occasion is on the horizon, the phone starts pinging. Roy Keane, in his first book, recalled how he was often running around Manchester sorting friends, family and strangers with tickets for matches on […]

7 years ago

With each and every game these two play together, Munster’s hopes of finishing 2018/19 with a trophy look brighter. Rory Scannell and Chris Farrell are building an effective midfield partnership for Johann van Graan’s side but the big tests are coming into view now. On Friday, back in his native Cork, Scannell was joined by […]

7 years ago

Never in doubt. Ireland’s Sevens team will play a full part in the 2020 HSBC World Series after winning the qualifying competition in Hong Kong today. Ireland beat Jamaica and Russia, either side of a draw with Uruguay, to reach the quarter finals. They saw off the Russians again in the last eight before beating […]

7 years ago

Too focused on issuing instructions or just some general shithousing? Nottingham Forest lost vital ground in their quest to reach to playoff places when they lost to championship strugglers Rotherham. Forest slipped to five points off the playoff spots after their 2-1 loss and may now have to aim for six wins in their closing […]

7 years ago

Fresh off another All-Ireland triumph and with a host of big names lining out, Ballyhale Shamrocks were stunned this afternoon. Down in Kilkenny, reputation only gets you so far. Clara 2-22, Ballyhale 3-15 Ballyhale went into their Kilkenny Senior Hurling League [part of the county’s championship] clash against Clara with just about all their leading […]

7 years ago

“Might just make it on the line…. ohhhh, she’s hobbling, she’s hobbling!” 19 one-hundredths of a second. Aishling Forkan was that close. It was a cracking day of competition, in Athlone today, at the 2019 Irish Universities Athletics Championships. Phil Healy blazed home in 23:04 in the Women’s 200 metres but the real drama arrived soon […]

7 years ago

“To miss an opportunity to play in a world cup in Japan is haunting my thoughts.” – Dan Leavy, April 1st 2019 On March 27, Dan Leavy posted this infectious video of himself in the Leinster dressing room with James Tracy and Luke McGrath: https://www.instagram.com/p/BvhYCrjlifd/ Three young lads full of life and in great spirits as […]

7 years ago

This would be another fight that would set pulses racing. For a man who has fought just once in the UFC in 30 months, Conor McGregor is still getting offers on a daily basis. Still, toss out two surnames of fighters fans would love to see enclosed inside The Octagon and ‘Gaethje McGregor’ would be […]

7 years ago

The game that sparked life in a listing inter-pro rivalry had Irish rugby fans talking for weeks. Fineen Wycherley pasting Johnny Sexton, Conor Murray flinging Jordan Larmour to the turf, Sexton yanking Joey Carbery, Jean Kleyn pushing Leinster buttons, James Lowe clashing with Andrew Conway, Scott Fardy wading into scuffles and Kleyn pushing more buttons. […]

7 years ago

Mike Tindall would like to think he was proved right about Ireland. Next up, 2019 Grand Slam champions Wales. Back in November, when Ireland were following up a Guinness Six Nations Grand Slam, a winning Test Series against Australia and beating world champions New Zealand, Mike Tindall was the voice of caution. Ireland had great […]

7 years ago

The Ulster and Ireland captain believes the arrival of Jack McGrath will benefit current looseheads at the province. Jack McGrath to Ulster has been in the offing for a couple of months but was finally confirmed by the IRFU (who get in there first) on Tuesday. The 54-times capped loosehead will leave Leinster at the […]

7 years ago

“He was saying that his Twitter account was going a bit mental alright!” Edinburgh fans were livid about it, and many more – including English rugby pundits – joined the chorus. Late in a gripping Champions Cup encounter between Munster and Edinburgh, on Saturday, Rhys Marshall was all set to concede a penalty that would […]

7 years ago

From third-choice goalkeeper to a hugely important cog in the Royal County’s forward line. It has been a whirlwind four months for the Summerhill star. This is where the year started for Barry Dardis and Meath, minding the nets on O’Byrne Cup duty: Dardis got a taste of first team action but, as the Allianz […]

7 years ago

Another Leinster player is heading up the M1 to Belfast. The IRFU put to bed a long-running story, this morning, as they confirmed Leinster and Ireland prop Jack McGrath would be joining Ulster next season. The 54-times Ireland international and British & Irish Lions star has found himself slipping behind Cian Healy this season, in […]

7 years ago

You can see how rapidly this all unfolds. 44 minutes into Ulster’s gripping Champions Cup quarter final with Leinster and Jacob Stockdale looked to have scored another sublime try. The 22-year-old, who scored 20 tries for Ulster and Ireland last season, went from 0 to 60 in the beat of a heart and wriggled through […]

7 years ago

Dan Leavy was an absolute titan for province and country last season but has been blighted with bad injury luck since the tour to Australia. On Saturday evening at the Aviva Stadium, Dan Leavy – not long off the bench – rushed out of the defensive line to stick a hit on Billy Burns. It […]

7 years ago

LIMERICK 1-24 WATERFORD 0-19 This Limerick panel looks determined to collect as many trophies while they are in form and having players contributing all over the pitch. John Kiely’s men are the reigning All-Ireland and league champions after their Division 1 Final victory over a game Waterford side at Croke Park today. Aaron Gillane got […]

7 years ago

Limerick absolutely bolted out of the traps but Waterford were doing their best to cling on. The Allianz Leagues Hurling Final was rip-roaring fare and All-Ireland champs Limerick raced into an 0-8 to 0-2 lead over the Deise. Stephen O’Keeffe had to be at his most brave, and reckless, to prevent Alan Gillane from rippling […]

7 years ago

Luckily, it was the day BEFORE Mother’s Day. Saracens appear to be a team with a point to prove in Europe this season. Having lost their Champions Cup crown to Leinster last season, the English side are smoking all comers in this season’s competition. They qualified as top seeds for the knock-out stages and beat […]

7 years ago

The former Irish international used to relish coming up against the big Dutch defender. Whenever he saw Virgil van Dijk’s name on the teamsheet – be it for Southampton, Liverpool or The Netherlands – Jonathan Walters knew he would be in for one hell of a tussle. The recently retired Ireland forward was on BBC’s […]

7 years ago

The hatred between these two runs deep. Five days into his retirement and Conor McGregor is already getting his head melted. ‘The Notorious’ announced he was retiring from ‘the sport formally known as Mixed Martial Art’ earlier this week but most fight fans, and pundits, have convinced themselves that this is no more than a […]

7 years ago

“I’m going to keep going until the wheels come off.” Justin Gaethje was the World series of Fighting champion and 17-0 in his pro career when he arrived at the UFC. Veteran fighter Michael Johnson warned him the Major Leagues were a different beast but Gaethje dismantled him after two slobberknocker rounds. Then the fight […]

7 years ago

Each and every one of his teammates would have understood if he opted to kick for touch. 70 minutes into an all-out slugfest at the Aviva Stadium (451 tackles registered on the night) and Leinster won themselves a penalty on the right-hand side of the pitch, just outside the Ulster 22. There was a slight […]

7 years ago

A young side with plenty of potential, but a sharp pang of reality for a few veterans. What could have been. Rory Best has been down this gut-wrenching road before. Ulster played their best game of the season, in Dublin, and still have to head home as losers. Leinster head coach Leo Cullen admitted his […]

7 years ago

The bad news will officially arrive in the coming days, but neither of these sound good. Leinster edged Ulster in an absolute thriller at the Aviva Stadium and there will very few players reporting fit and ready to rock if either province is mad enough to schedule a full training day on Monday. Both sides […]

7 years ago

His performance had everything but the one thing he so often delivers on big occasions. Six of Jacob Stockdale’s seven Ulster tries have come in the Champions Cup this season. He thrives in this competition. On Saturday evening at the Aviva Stadium, with Ulster fans doing their team proud and vice versa, Stockdale lit up […]

7 years ago

LEINSTER 21-18 ULSTER Ulster delivered their best performance of the season and still went out of the Champions Cup. Leinster rode one hell of a storm and it was Ross Byrne that proved the hero with a late penalty to clinch it. With Johnny Sexton injured and watching from the sidelines, there was a lot […]

7 years ago

Coming from South African legend Bryan Habana, this means a lot. Look at his Champions Cup quarter final stats and Keith Earls would appear to have had a decent game… until you get to that final column. Had you missed the game and were scanning the post-match statistics, the Limerick native’s figures would not initially […]

7 years ago

Many in the game would love to see him involved with the senior England squad. Ben Ryan had twice previously been a guest on of JOE UK’s House of Rugby, offering a brilliant insight into his coaching stint with the Fiji Sevens team that ended with gold medal glory at the Rio Olympics. On the latest episode, host Alex […]

7 years ago

A players’ player. A captain and senior figure that backs his teammates to the hilt. Peter O’Mahony is all of the above and, when it comes to his playing abilities, so much more. He was earmarked as a future Munster captain from as young as 18 and was leading the province out, in the PRO12, […]

7 years ago

They could be lighting the bonfires all over again. It has only been three years since Connacht lifted the Guinness PRO12 trophy at Murrayfield, but Barry Murphy’s proclamation still caused the ears to perk up. The former Munster and Ireland centre has been thoroughly impressed with the Westerner’s form since head coach Andy Friend (after […]

7 years ago

11 appearances in for Ulster and Will Addison has found a home, and appreciative fanbase. In truth, he had it after his first outing for the province. Will Addison made his Ireland debut, two months after his first game for Ulster, in November against Italy at Soldier Field, Chicago. If it seemed he was fast-tracked […]

7 years ago

“I’d love to see something like that happen.” That was the take of Barry Murphy when the prospect was raised, by an Irish supporter, of his former Munster teammate Ronan O’Gara being drafted into the Ireland set-up. O’Gara has been coaching for five and a half years now, since his retirement from playing in May […]

7 years ago

Conor McGregor and Dana White have been very good for each other. The UFC president and ‘The Notorious’ have had some downs but a parade of ups during their seven-year relationship. Both are considerably richer than when the UFC gave McGregor his first fight contract back in 2013. Before his first fight in Mixed Martial […]

7 years ago

A smidge more poignant than ‘thanks for the cheese’. In recent months, Conor McGregor was speaking and tweeting like a man with unfinished business in the fight game. ‘McGregor Retires’ headlines will undoubtedly flood your timelines and news-feeds today while the MMA star sips on a piña colada or two. One of the biggest names in […]

7 years ago

Players coming back into the mix just in time for an absolute massive game. Munster and Edinburgh have the honour of kicking off a class two days of Champions Cup quarter final clashes and they go into the fixture with good news abounding. Ahead of the Saturday afternoon (12:45pm kick-off) encounter with the Scots, the […]

7 years ago

From out of sight to out in front and brought back down to earth in the space of a mad-cap hour at Twickenham. England’s Guinness Six Nations finale against Scotland had it all. Eddie Jones’ men went into the game knowing Wales were Grand Slam champions but tore into the Scots regardless. England raced into […]

7 years ago

We were waiting for the hammer to drop, but it never came. Mike Tindall is not convinced about Ireland, their tactics or their chances at the World Cup. When the former England captain voiced that opinion, in November last year, Joe Schmidt’s team were preparing to face the All Blacks after winning a Guinness Six […]

7 years ago

A third place finish and three solid victories but you’d be struggling to confidently call an Irish player on the team of the tournament. Looking back on Ireland’s five games in the Guinness Six Nations – book-ended by defeats to Wales and England – there were some great individual performances in games: James Ryan (vs. […]

7 years ago

187 days and counting. The Ireland squad would have shared a few drinks together on Saturday evening, after their 25-7 loss to Wales, and travelled home on the Sunday. The Guinness PRO14 is up next, for several of the squad, while most will be back in action for the Champions Cup and, for Connacht, Challenge Cup […]

7 years ago

Joe Schmidt has placed a lot of faith in his senior players and was not for turning in Cardiff. Most Irish supporters would be hard-pressed to confidently declare the name of an Ireland player that had a good game at the Principality Stadium, on Saturday. James Ryan was the pick of the starting XV but […]

7 years ago

Gareth Southgate said he made no guarantees to Declan Rice when the 20-year-old opted to switch his international allegiances. The England boss spoke highly of Declan Rice when he named him in his England squad, last week, but insisted he would have to earn his game-time, just like everyone else. Rice made three friendly appearances […]

7 years ago

Fine margins. It must be one of rugby’s most over-used idioms, but it captures the essence of high pressure Test matches. Despite getting beaten 25-7 by Wales in their final game of an underwhelming Guinness Six Nations campaign, Ireland’s head coach and a clutch of his players mentioned those small margins. Ireland can only have […]

7 years ago

“I’ve had an insane couple of days.” Sounds like nothing much is changing for Conor McGregor. Over the St Patrick’s Weekend (because it’s more than just a day, this year), Conor McGregor was in Chicago at a fundraising event for First Responders – “The people that rush into buildings as we’re rushing out” – and […]

7 years ago

The Ireland head coach likes to be in control of most aspects of match preparation. Last Wednesday, many news outlets published their expected Ireland XV to face Wales in the final game of the Guinness Six Nations. Most had got wind of Iain Henderson being out of the picture after the Ulster lock picked up […]

7 years ago