A couple of big calls here, but that leaves some decent options in reserve for the end-game. Switzerland pit their wits against Mick McCarthy’s Ireland on Thursday evening, at the Aviva Stadium, and there is a lot at stake. Ireland Switzerland may not sound like a barn-burner but get the right result and we can […]

6 years ago

“I remember how he used to address me. He’d say, you’re not the lock. You’re the assistant to the tighthead.” That was Donncha O’Callaghan’s introduction to Cork Con prop Paul McCartney as he was coming up through the club ranks. Aged 18, years before he’d make a lasting impact with Munster and Ireland, O’Callaghan learned […]

6 years ago

Among the 3,423 crowd at Tallaght Stadium, on Tuesday, was the woman that will lead Ireland through the EURO 2021 Qualifiers. Vera Pauw watched on as Ireland, managed by Tom O’Connor, defeated Montenegro 2-0 to start their qualifying campaign in style. This morning, the FAI confirmed that Pauw would be taking over from interim boss O’Connor […]

6 years ago

“It shows the mark of those guys that they are willing to come in after such disappointment and train as they have over the last couple of days.” As well as praising the professionalism of the trio asked by Joe Schmidt to stick around, despite not making the World Cup squad, Johnny Sexton stressed that […]

6 years ago

“I brought my own tea-pot today!” Jon Walters caught on quick when he first joined the Irish squad, in 2010. Back in the Jack Charlton era, members of the Irish football team used to have regular nights out during international week. Going on the beers, on at least one night, was as much a part […]

6 years ago

“I think what he did with Munster was pretty incredible.” The year before Felix Jones took over as Munster’s attack coach, the province scored 56 league tries. In his first year in the role, Munster scored 77 and followed that with returns of 78 and 82. The only two teams that bettered that were Leinster […]

6 years ago

Joe Schmidt has praised the “unbelievable” professionalism of three Ireland players that have stayed on to train with his World Cup squad. On Monday morning, six days ahead of schedule, the IRFU announced its 31-man squad to travel to Japan, later this month, and represent Ireland at the World Cup. There were four big omissions […]

6 years ago

The defender was called into a few travelling Manchester United senior squads at the end of last season. Celtic have signed up another promising Irish youngster, in Lee O’Connor. The 19-year-old was given permission to leave the Ireland U21 squad today to head to Glasgow and sign for Celtic. He joins the Scottish champions from Manchester […]

6 years ago

“Paulie was examining it then realised what it was and went ‘Aaarrgghh’ and threw it miles away.” The weekend past, Paul O’Connell was a guest on ‘The Player’s Chair’ at Electric Picnic and, as he so often does, he provided an insight into his mind-set and what it was like to take part in some […]

6 years ago

Back in November 2018, Kieran Marmion and Devin Toner started Ireland’s first ever home win over reigning world champions New Zealand. Many Irish fans would contend that Kieran Marmion should be Ireland’s starting No.9 at the World Cup. Instead, this September and October, he will be battling with Caolin Blade for the Connacht No.9 jersey. […]

6 years ago

Six days ahead of schedule but a slick video produced and turned around in no time. Joe Schmidt is known for his meticulousness, so Monday morning’s events may well have irked him. On the other hand, the Band-Aid has been ripped off and life goes on. The IRFU were planning on announcing their World Cup […]

6 years ago

In the end, Joe Schmidt went with a specialist centre as opposed to the versatile Will Addison. Six days ahead of schedule, the IRFU has announced their Ireland squad for the World Cup. Spurred, no doubt, by media reports of squad selections and omissions, the IRFU opted to release their 31-man squad at lunchtime. As […]

6 years ago

Big shocks incoming. Ireland do not make their 31-man World Cup squad official until Sunday, September 8 but the entire squad were informed, either by phone or in person, over the weekend. Joe Schmidt and his coaching staff got together on Sunday, September 1 and they thrashed out the final squad selection calls. We understand […]

6 years ago

Four games, 17 goals scored, 12 points collected and a three-point lead opened up. For Celtic, it was business as usual in the Scottish Premiership. For Steven Gerrard and Rangers, the same. Rangers went into the first Old Firm game of the 2019/20 season with high hopes. Celtic were coming to Ibrox, where they had […]

6 years ago

Joe Brolly over-stepped the mark in The Sunday Game’s Croke Park studio and host Joanne Cantwell had her hands full. Even before a ball was kicked in the 2019 All-Ireland Senior Football Final, Joe Brolly was wired to the moon. Fellow pundit Pat Spillane was trying to interject but Brolly cut him off and demanded […]

6 years ago

74 minutes into a pulsating, intense All-Ireland final and Dublin had just dragged themselves back from the brink. Jack McCaffrey stepped up and would play key role in ensuring his side could not lose a game that would haunt them for decades. It was typical of a performance that man of the match accolades often […]

6 years ago

Referee David Gough made the right call for the penalty but did not feel there should be a re-take. Another big moment in the long, medal-ridden goalkeeping career of Stephen Cluxton. Paul Geaney had two golden goal-scoring chances for Kerry in the first half of the All-Ireland Football Final, but missed both. Kerry played really […]

6 years ago

Sanita Puspure dedicated her world championship rowing victory to her late sister, Inese. Sanita Puspure powered to another gold medal in the Women’s Single Sculls at the World Rowing Championships in Austria, this afternoon. New Zealand’s Emma Twigg started the final, in Ottensheim, like a rocket but Puspure stayed close behind a powered past both her and […]

6 years ago

The 31 lucky Irish players to make Joe Schmidt’s World Cup squad will find out over the course of today. On Monday, Ireland will submit their proposed 31-man squad for the 2019 World Cup. The official announcement, though, is not coming until next Sunday. All national team coaches will be allowed to make changes to […]

6 years ago

If we don’t hear the words ‘front loading’ or ‘muscle soreness’ for the rest of 2019, we’ll be just fine with that. Three out of the four World Cup warm-up games are out of the way and here are the players that have taken significant knocks: Joey Carbery (ankle) Cian Healy (ankle) Conor Murray (head) […]

6 years ago

Johnny Sexton and Robbie Henshaw will make the 31-man squad despite having missed out on the first three warm-up games. On Monday, the IRFU will submit its’ 31-man World Cup squad to World Rugby. The plan is for the Ireland squad to be officially announced until the following Sunday, September 8. Wales, who were defeated […]

6 years ago

Ireland could go to Japan as the World No.1 if they beat the Grand Slam champions in Dublin next weekend. World Rugby will argue that the current rugby rankings system rewards teams for long-term consistency but how about giving out less points for winning what are essentially warm-up knock-abouts. On Wednesday, Ireland scrum-half Conor Murray […]

6 years ago

WALES 17-22 IRELAND Conor Murray assured us, midweek, that we would see ‘a different Ireland’ this weekend. In terms of personnel, attitude and finishing, he was on the money. A week and a world away from Twickenham. Ireland looked back to themselves, albeit against a much-changed Wales side, and several of their starting XV have […]

6 years ago

“I still count that try!” Conor Murray was 22 and had just helped Munster to the Magners League [now Guinness Pro14) title when Declan Kidney called him up to the Ireland squad for the first time. The Patrickswell native was expecting to come in, train alongside some of the players he had grown up idolising, […]

6 years ago

If Peter Keane and Jim Gavin go ahead with the starting 15s they have just announced, feel free to knock us down with a feather. The Dublin Kerry rivalry will get a new chapter on Sunday, September 1. The official starting teams have been submitted but expect some late changes. If GAA Congress gets it’s […]

6 years ago

Considering he was forced to sit out a chunk of last season with neck and shoulder issues, Conor Murray admits he was concerned when he was floored by Jonny May at the weekend. With Ireland holding onto a slender lead, at Twickemham, Conor Murray stepped up to lay a tackle on the English winger. May […]

6 years ago

Everyone wants a piece of ‘The Hask’. As soon as James Haskell announced he was signing up for a Mixed Martial Arts stint with Bellator, the offers started to flood in. The former England and Lions flanker is currently in training ahead of an anticipated Bellator debut in early 2020. Haskell, who is part of the UK’s […]

6 years ago

A few key members of the Irish XV that found themselves rumbled by England, last weekend, look set to get a shot at immediate redemption. Jack Conan, Dave Kilcoyne, Chris Farrell and Jordi Murphy will all get a chance against Wales, while a couple of established stars will also return. Wednesday is often the down […]

6 years ago

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here, but… Tuesday night saw a rake of Irish players making impacts in the Carabao Cup. Seven players scored nine goals, there were a couple of man of the match accolades and Kieran O’Hara kept a clean sheet in Burton’s win. Performance of the night, from an Irish perspective, […]

6 years ago

There were goals all over the shop in the Carabao Cup, on Tuesday night, and five Irish players were in the mix. The League Cup moved into the second round stage and so to did the Premier League clubs that have no European commitments this season. There was plenty of Irish involvement, too, and U21 […]

6 years ago

“I’m always available.” Former Wasps, England and Lions flanker James Haskell only hung up his rugby boots over the summer but he is continuing on the professional sporting path by signing up for a Mixed Martial Arts stint with Bellator. Haskell has been using MMA fighting to keep fight, and work on different skill sets, […]

6 years ago

More visceral details have emerged of Munster’s infamous pre-season Royal Rumble of 2010/11. On his recent appearance on the UK’s House of Rugby show, former Munster and Ireland hooker Jerry Flannery told Alex Payne about a Royal Rumble-style competition that was held as part of the team’s pre-season week in Portugal. Flannery and Barry Murphy, […]

6 years ago

The Ireland XV to face world number ones Wales on Saturday, in Cardiff, will feature a raft of new faces. Ireland will submit their squad to World Rugby on Monday, September 2 so this weekend’s game against the Grand Slam champions at the Principality Stadium will be the last chance for several players to stake […]

6 years ago

The wingers so often get the glory, but they also cop a heap of the blame when things go south. Ireland shipped the most amount of tries, on Saturday last, since New Zealand put them to the sword in Hamilton, back in 2012. Few Irish players stood up to be counted and just about everything […]

6 years ago

“It’s clear now, Joe Schmidt is Keyser Söze!” The Monday after the weekend beating before. Ireland got one hell of a beating from England at Twickenham, on Saturday, and there are physical and psychological bruises. Barry Murphy and Andrew Trimble are joined on Baz & Andrew’s House of Rugby by former Munster and Ireland hooker Jerry Flannery to […]

6 years ago

Rory McIlroy started his final round a shot behind World No.1 Brooks Koepka. He ended up burning him off with five holes to play. There may have been another calendar year without a Major victory but Rory McIlroy has claimed the most lucrative prize in golf. The Holywood native clinched the FedEx Cup for winning […]

6 years ago

Going into Ireland’s second World Cup warm-up game at Twickenham, most of their supporters would have been hoping for a good performance and no serious injuries. Tadhg Furlong, Jean Kleyn, CJ Stander & Co. were out-gunned in London. By the time the World Cup pool games get underway, the slate of warm-up games will be mostly […]

6 years ago

“The game changes so quick. Everyone just comes and goes. It’s a forgetful business. It’s a cruel, cruel business.” Frankie Edgar is an older gentleman that would be more than willing to dish it back up to Conor McGregor. Most of the UFC roster may be unimpressed with McGregor’s latest interview, in which he apologised […]

6 years ago

Nine changes from the team that started against England at Twickenham. Such were the opponents and fixture dates, it was always likely that Ireland were going to use the England away game and Wales at home to put out their strongest sides. Ireland rugby supporters would expect that not every selected XV would contain all […]

6 years ago

This is the last thing Ireland, or their fans, need to hear. Joey Carbery will not play again until the World Cup – if he indeed makes the final, 31-man squad – and Johnny Sexton is in danger of doing likewise. Ireland went to Twickenham, on Saturday, with out-halves Ross Byrne and Jack Carty in […]

6 years ago

The Munster back-row did not have a single carry in the first half and finished the full 80 having just carried three times. CJ Stander will not enjoy watching Saturday’s abject defeat back in the Monday review session. Joe Schmidt may have to bolt the door closed and bar all exits as this re-watch will […]

6 years ago

For the third time in a little over six months, Ireland have been trounced in a Test match. It took Stephen Ferris to front up to the TV camera and tell it like it is. The only consolation for Ireland, and we are stretching here, is that this was the first hit-out for many top […]

6 years ago

ENGLAND 57-15 IRELAND Joe Schmidt admitted, in the lead-up to Ireland’s World Cup warm-up against England, that his side were a week behind Eddie Jones’ men in their preparations. When the final whistle sounded at Twickenham it seemed as it they were light years away from this ruthless English side. Ireland suffered their worst ever […]

6 years ago

Worrying scenes at Twickenham. Conor Murray and Cian Healy were the early Irish casualties as war raged in London. Jordan Larmour scored his fifth Test try to give Ireland a good start against England but there was a double disaster in the space of 30 seconds, around half an hour in. Ireland were leading 10-8 […]

6 years ago

When victory finally arrived, it was part of a remarkable Grand Slam-winning campaign. Lynne Cantwell can remember her Ireland debut all too well. “79-0 in Worcester,” recalls Ireland’s most capped female player. “I went on as a winger and it was a frightening experience, honest to God. But, hey, look, you have to start somewhere.” […]

6 years ago

Junior barman at Cork Con, helping out at his uncle’s kayaking business down in West Cork, Munster, Ireland and Lions captain. “I was lucky enough to be asked into the Munster sub academy, in my final year in school,” Peter O’Mahony tells us, “and I’ve kind of stuck at it from there.” As CVs go, […]

6 years ago

Sitting in a cosy Dublin office with Peter O’Mahony, five weeks out from the World Cup, we take him back to a Baltic day in London, March 2018. Ireland return to Twickenham, on Saturday, for the first time since they comprehensively beat 2017 champions England to clinch only their third Grand Slam. Peter O’Mahony gets […]

6 years ago

Sergio Aguero’s touchline spat with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola looked to have been settled by Gabriel Jesus, until V.A.R got involved. The City striker had traded barbed words with his manager after being substituted, for Jesus, in his side’s 1-1 draw with Tottenham. Any bad blood that may have been simmering looked to be […]

6 years ago

Ireland rugby fans are usually fretful around World Cups. Barry Murphy is no different. Joe Schmidt has overseen a period of unprecedented success for the Irish rugby team, and yet we need some collective convincing as we near another tilt at the Webb Ellis. Every four years, whether we tanked, won or had a middling […]

6 years ago

Toss Tony Ferguson versus the winner of the Donald Cerrone fight with Justin Gaethje onto the card and you’ve got a winner. Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal are on a collision course, and we should be in store for a cracker. After 155 weeks away from the UFC, Nate Diaz returned at the weekend to […]

6 years ago