NOTHING ABOUT A an U20 World Cup schedule ever suggests it’s going to be handy going. But even accounting for how tough it is to squeeze five matches into a 19-day stretch, the injury toll for Grand Slam champions Ireland feels particularly punitive. True enough, they lost a fair chunk of that talent core before […]
A MOMENTOUS WEEKEND lies ahead for sevens rugby in Ireland. Across Saturday and Sunday, UCD plays host to the Olympic Qualifying tournament as Ireland’s women’s side go up against 15 other nations for the final spot at the Rio Games. The opportunity is clear. Lucy Mulhall is captain of the Ireland side. Source: Colm O’Neill/INPHO Qualify […]
A WORKING GROUP to discuss the possibility of a uniform global rugby calendar will speak next week, but little is likely to be agreed. IRFU CEO Philip Browne will represent the Pro12 in the five-way telephone conversation, and yesterday the Dubliner made it clear that his preference would be to keep the season in its […]
Source: James Crombie/INPHO Olympics ‘Close your eyes and pull like a dog’…What a day for Skibbereen’s finest Gary and Paul O’Donovan. They were true to their word and made history by claiming Ireland’s very first medal in Olympic rowing. There was disappointment for Sinead Lynch and Claire Lambe as they had to make do with […]
THE START OF a new season naturally engenders optimism and the hope around Leinster is that the eastern province can learn from last season and kick-on in Leo Cullen’s second year at the helm. Source: Ben Whitley/INPHO They were unable to salvage an otherwise forgettable 2015/16 season by ending it with silverware, but the feeling […]
ON PAPER, IT has been the worst possible start to Connacht’s Pro12 title defence. Two home games. Two defeats. Two bonus points for the opposition. Saturday’s 32-11 loss to the Ospreys was tough to swallow, not least because Connacht still held a narrow lead inside the final quarter before shipping three late tries to their […]
IRELAND OUT-HALF Johnny Sexton is set to return for Leinster on Friday night against Ospreys, after nearly four months on the sidelines. The 31-year-old has returned to full training this week, and could feature for Leo Cullen’s men when they take on the Pro12 table toppers at the RDS. The former Racing Metro star has been out […]
LEO CULLEN WILL begin the process of re-integrating a number of his frontline players back into his squad this week as Leinster’s preparations for their Heineken Champions Cup semi-final against Toulouse move up a gear. With a home semi-final in the Pro14 long secured, this two-game block — Saturday’s draw with Benetton and this weekend’s […]
MUNSTER’S TWO SEMI-final defeats last season hurt in more ways than simply the pain of losing big games. They scored two tries on the Pro14 defeat to Leinster and managed to dot down thrice against Racing 92 in the European knock-out tie, but too often their basic handling ability was askew. Scannell believes Munster’s passing […]
Answer all the questions to see your result! Click Here: sydney roosters shirt Gavan Casey and Murray Kinsella are joined by Andy Dunne to get stuck into last weekend’s Champions Cup semi-finals.: Source: The42 Rugby Weekly/SoundCloud Subscribe to our new podcast, The42 Rugby Weekly, here: