“Johnny is The G.O.A.T.” Jack Carty has been named in Andy Farrell’s Ireland squad for the 2022 Six Nations, and he will be pushing to start a couple of games. While Ireland captain Johnny Sexton will head into the championship as the presumptive man to fill the No.10 jersey, Carty looks best placed to back […]

4 years ago

These are the men Andy Farrell will hope can get Ireland off to a flyer. The Ireland squad for the opening round of the 2022 Six Nations has been announced, and it has a very settled feel to it. Johnny Sexton is captain of the 37-man squad named by Farrell, with a few exciting inclusions […]

4 years ago

Some have heaps of experience while others are only breaking through. We have a testing Premier League quiz for you that will push your knowledge of the top tier’s squads to the limit. We have pored through the senior squads of each of the league’s 20 sides. A player from each team has been selected. […]

4 years ago

“For most guys, that’s way too much running.” The maddening beauty of intra-sports rivalry and ‘we’re better than you’ arguments, is most people are entrenched on the matter. Rugby fans, for example, are often triggered when American football followers claim their sport has the toughest or most athletic players. If that spat ever occurs again, […]

4 years ago

If Farrell needs to know how this feels, he can give Johnny Sexton a bell. Eddie Jones has named a 36-man squad for the opening rounds of the Guinness Six Nations, and asked Owen Farrell to captain his country again. Jones has included six uncapped players in a squad that does not have experienced players […]

4 years ago

Hold. Your. Nerve. Since its inception in 1888, there have been only 20 teams to win the First Division or [as it became in 1992] Premier League. Our latest football teams quiz is focused on more recent league history. We want to know the most successful football teams in the league over the past 50 […]

4 years ago

No loyalty shown to old(er) soldiers as Eddie Jones eyes the 2023 World Cup. The England squad for the 2022 Six Nations has been named and there are a few new faces coming in for a taste of championship action. As we saw last year, Jones looks to have moved on from Mako Vunipola, Billy […]

4 years ago

“I just get after it, and play hard.” With Conor Oliver and rugby, there have been silver linings and clouds. Clouds and silver linings. Back at Skerries Community College, after impressing in their Junior Cup run, he was offered the chance to do his Leaving Cert in Blackrock College. The commute, and training to make […]

4 years ago

French rugby fans know all about Johnny Sexton and Simon Zebo, and they have a grá for Conor Murray. We are now under three weeks from the start of the 2022 Six Nations, and the scouting reports on Ireland are being compiled. Craig Casey and a few of his inter-provincial rivals are well on the […]

4 years ago

There could be more than 10 changes from the squad selected for last year’s championship. On Wednesday, Andy Farrell is expected to name his Ireland squad for the 2022 Six Nations. Going on past selections, anywhere between 35 and 38 players will get the call-up. With the provinces tipping along at a decent clip in […]

4 years ago

We begin with apologies to Tiernan O’Halloran… and Jack Conan. After the third round of pool games, the prospects of the Irish provinces are positive. Our Champions Cup Team of the Week is bossed by Ulster, but there were several tight calls. As it stands, with one round of pool games to play, Munster and […]

4 years ago

Absolute chaos in those final 14 seconds. After a super wildcard weekend, the Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers are all one and done for the playoffs. The Dallas Cowboys and quarterback Dak Prescott, though, may have some difficulty moving on. Before we get to the pure, unadulterated madness […]

4 years ago

NORTHAMPTON 20-24 ULSTER Andy Farrell will name his Ireland squad for the 2022 Six Nations soon, and James Hume is doing his best for the call-up. So are a few other Ulster lads. Ulster marched on to the knock-out stages of the Champions Cup with a fine win over Northampton Saints, at Franklin’s Gardens. Mike […]

4 years ago

LEINSTER 89-7 MONTPELLIER Leo Cullen’s side put Montpellier to the sword to massively boost their Champions Cup hopes, but there are injury concerns over Tadhg Furlong and James Ryan. Leinster needed only 24 minutes to secure the try-scoring bonus as they raced in four tries against a rabble of a Montpellier side. Having been forced […]

4 years ago

De Gea had another fine game but United’s defence was ropey, once again. Roy Keane has seen far too much of Manchester United, of late, to know a 1-0 lead is not worth much. His half-time words, on Sky, proved prophetic. Keane, to put it lightly, has not always been convinced by David De Gea. […]

4 years ago

Heartfelt scenes on a day sports teams across the country paid their respects. Tributes are being paid to the brutally slain school teacher Ashling Murphy today, and none more poignant than in Ardee, before Louth played Offaly. Murphy, 23, was accosted and murdered while being out for an afternoon jog along the Grand Canal in Tullamore, […]

4 years ago

CONNACHT 28-29 LEICESTER Andy Friend’s Connacht were left heartbroken after enduring a late storm from Leicester Tigers. Bundee Aki could have some apologising to do, too. “How that wasn’t a penalty to Connacht, I don’t know!” exclaimed Brian O’Driscoll. That was only the start of the drama as Leicester Tigers claimed a last-gasp try to […]

4 years ago

“Dean very much allowed the younger guys to get stuck into the older lads.” Mike Brown has been one of the most consistent, and deadly, fullbacks in English rugby over the past 15 years. He puts a lot of his early success to his tangles with Connacht legend Gavin Duffy. Brown was only 19 when […]

4 years ago

Well said by the Munster captain. Nearing midnight at a frigid Stade Pierre Fabre, Peter O’Mahony stood out on the pitch and reflected on another hard-got Munster win. The captain was determined to say his piece, on behalf of his team, on a dreadful matter back home. On Tuesday, school teacher Ashling Murphy was murdered […]

4 years ago

Stop the lights. Filipo Nakosi has only played three Test matches for Fiji. We would love to see him and his brother, Josh Tuisova, team up on both wings for the Fijians. Munster secured a vital 16-13 win over Castres that all but secures their passage to the knock-out stages. They left it late but […]

4 years ago

“Everyone has bought into the club and gets heavily involved in the club.” For Conall Jones and Derrygonnelly Harps, it has been a case of getting to the shop window and having a good nosey inside without ever setting foot through the front door. On Sunday, that all changes. The Derrygonnelly boys are in the […]

4 years ago

“It was so casual, but so clinical.” In the United Rugby Championship, one of the best teams to watch right now are Edinburgh. The Scots may be leading the league right now, but it is their style of play that is so appealing. With Mike Blair in as head coach, taking over from Richard Cockerill, […]

4 years ago

‘The press have come to the wrong people.’ Victoria Rose, wife of Bath and England outhalf Danny Cipriani, has shared a statement regarding the arrest of an English rugby player, on suspicion of rape, on Sunday. She strongly denies any links to the case and has called on journalists and photographers to leave her and […]

4 years ago

“We’re on the World Cup countdown now.” As a young, up-and-coming or Irish-qualified player, the two years after a World Cup are usually the best opportunity to get that coveted Ireland debut, some Test minutes and stake one’s claim for more. In his first year as Ireland head coach – that disrupted, uncertain, bonkers 2020 […]

4 years ago

“Johann and Steven would be two of the hardest working people.” All last week, Johann van Graan was getting his bags packed for him by people outside of Munster Rugby. A head coach announcing he is leaving with six months go to in a season will sometimes do that. Having taken over the top job […]

4 years ago

“I thought it was brave… “ Given that it was a game between the third and seventh placed sides in the United Rugby Championship, on Saturday, there was a lot riding on Munster vs. Ulster. Both teams have had their seasons badly affected by Covid protocols, positive tests and postponements, but their issues are far […]

4 years ago

The rules seem to be getting made up as we go along. The Heineken Champions Cup returns, this weekend, and, as of today, all fixtures in round three of the pool stages are set to go ahead. The waters are calm, for now. Montpellier have been dealing with a Covid outbreak in and around their […]

4 years ago

The 29-year-old has 24 Test caps with New Zealand. Wasps had a hard-fought an emotional win over Premiership leaders Leicester Tigers today. They did so without 17 senior players, including All Blacks Malaki Fekitoa and Vaea Fifita. The English side may as well get used to the feeling, as both men are set to move […]

4 years ago

A hugely encouraging performance in a feisty inter-pro. Imagine tossing lineout throws, in training, against a defensive unit that includes Tadhg Beirne, Peter O’Mahony and Thomas Ahern. It would be enough to give some hookers sleepless nights. In Beirne and O’Mahony, Munster already possess two demons when it comes to disrupting the opposition lineouts, and outright […]

4 years ago

MUNSTER 18-13 ULSTER Peter O’Mahony was a late scratch from the Munster starting XV, but stand-in captain Tadhg Beirne more than made up for his absence. O’Mahony was out for pre-match interviews with RTE and Premier Sports, and even took part in the warm-up at Thomond Park, but he pulled up before the team headed […]

4 years ago

How Mike Lowry was able to immediately bounce back up and play on was a feat in itself. Simon Zebo got off to a rip-roaring start on his return to Munster, but the past few months have been tough. Called into the Ireland squad for the November internationals, Zebo did not get that run-out in […]

4 years ago

Not a bad way to make a case for Premier League minutes. Evan Ferguson made his second senior outing for Brighton & Hove Albion and played a key role in Graham Potter’s side getting through to the FA Cup fourth round. Potter went into the third round tie after making seven changes to the side […]

4 years ago

In May of this year, the midfield maestro will turn 40. Newcastle United may have been bought for a dump-truck full of money and just got back from a January shop with an England international full-back, but they could not figure out Wes Hoolahan, Joe Ironside and the Cambridge lads. The FA Cup third round […]

4 years ago

The England prop turned the other cheek, after bring turned upside down. Harlequins and Exeter were always going to tear into each other from the off, but the double clear-out on prop Joe Marler was over-stepping the mark, and then some. Quins and Exeter went into their Premiership clash knowing that it was not quite […]

4 years ago

“We’re on the World Cup countdown now.” At the end of this month, Andy Farrell will name his extended squad for what will be his third Six Nations as Ireland head coach. Jack Carty is set to be involved, but some feel he should start at least two of Ireland’s championship fixtures. The Connacht outhalf […]

4 years ago

We want to see the Dubs incorporate the Poolbeg chimneys into their next piece of kit. Or Clare with the Cliffs of Moher. Back in 2017 [feels like a life-time ago], we declared that Kansas City had produced the GAA jersey of the year. The Kansas City offering trumped class jerseys from Sligo, Mayo’s away […]

4 years ago

“I know he’s the same age, but he almost came out of nowhere.” Dan Sheehan and Rónan Kelleher ended 2021 as the one-two combo for both Leinster and Ireland. Whatever competition was there before was burnt off like a stunned winger when these lads let rip up the touchline. Andy Farrell reached the consensus that […]

4 years ago

In among an injury update for nine other players came the grim confirmation. Saracens have confirmed that back-row Jackson Wray fractured his skull in their weekend win over Northampton Saints. Sarries defeated Saints 30-6 but Wray, who came on as a half-time replacement for Billy Vunipola, appeared to injure himself while making a tackle, late […]

4 years ago

“He’s too good not to start. Every game he plays, he’s just incredible.” No sooner had the awards and garlands been handed out for 2021 than talk excitedly moved to the top Irish rugby players to watch in 2022. The new year brings new hope and a raft of trophies sitting in cabinets, and on […]

4 years ago

Jack O’Connor has managed the 22-year-old before. After a stint in Australia with the Geelong Cats, Stefan Okunbor returned to Ireland, last year, and set his sights on senior football with The Kingdom. Having helped the Kerry Minors to All-Ireland glory in 2016, the Na Gaeil club man then progressed to U20 level and won […]

4 years ago

“He’s very emotional and can’t be held liable for what he says!” Just a little over three weeks ago, Munster sent a squad that would include 12 debutants over to face Wasps in the Champions Cup and earned a bonus point win. After the multiple hits of a Covid-hit trip to South Africa, RG Snyman’s […]

4 years ago

“Thumping contact. We could almost hear it up here.” One often hears about how Player X or Player Y is ‘the nicest guy’ in a particular sport, but Chris Farrell would put most to shame. The big Fivemiletown native is one of the most humble and sincere rugby players out there. Nobody would deny that […]

4 years ago

The 28-year-old has made strides in the business world since being forced to retire in 2020. The line-up for the new season of The Apprentice, on the BBC, has been unveiled, and it includes Irish rugby star Conor Gilsenan. The former Ireland U20 star was in with the Leinster academy but moved to Connacht in […]

4 years ago

The La Rochelle head coach can emphatize with the Kiwi. France’s Top 14 threw up a couple of nail-biters over the weekend, with two sides connected to Ronan O’Gara ending up on the wrong side of the final scoreline. La Rochelle took on a Castres side that recently made Munster work hard for a Champions […]

4 years ago

When it came to the crunch, Peter Wright found his doubles and ‘Bully Boy’ faltered. As you watched Michael Smith turn away from the Alexandra Palace crowd and hide his face in his top, crying freely, you wished someone would have compassion and let 31-year-old leave the stage for a few moments. Covid has hit […]

4 years ago

‘Snakebite’ knew he had pulled one out of the fire. For the second time in three stagings, Peter Wright is the PDC world champion. The Scot rallied from 5-4 [sets] and 2-0 [legs] down to defeat ‘Bully Boy’ in a gripping ‘First to Seven’ final. Shortly after he had been announced as ‘world champion’ for […]

4 years ago

The Cork youngster gave a fine account of himself. Caoimhin Kelleher had a decent game in between the sticks for Liverpool, and could do little with the two strikes that saw Chelsea blaze back from 2-0 down to secure a draw that, in reality, suits neither side. With Manchester City now on an 11-game winning […]

4 years ago

“He was putting steaks and napkins in his fleece pocket to save them for later!” Rugby has changed dramatically since the game went from amateur to psuedo-professional and, now, fully professional. The professional rugby diet have changed massively too. In the early days, players would get a big feed of chicken and pasta into them […]

4 years ago

One last argument to end 2021… Garth Crooks has once again delivered the debatable goods with his Team of the Year selection for the BBC. The former Tottenham and Manchester United striker has long been a go-to for those looking for a reason to scratch their head at Best XI selections. Who, of course, can […]

4 years ago

“A word from Kevin and it was all sorted.” Back in 1982, Paul McGrath arrived in Manchester and was put up as a lodger at the house of Tom and Bet Fannon. One of his fellow lodgers at the house was Norman Whiteside. The Belfast native had been at United since he was 14 and, […]

4 years ago