“You’re in my world now, grandma!” The SportsJOE 12 o’clock quiz is in flying form today and giving you a real treat… and a real test! Good luck.

5 years ago

And now the briefing games begin. Manchester City were fast out of the blocks. The fact that we did not expect any better of Man City underlines the club under it’s current owners. The Super League is now floating face down, bloated, in a puddle of its’ own hubris. Like The Death Star, it looked […]

5 years ago

“I don’t think he’s done enough.” Sean O’Brien has never been too shy about sticking his neck out, especially when it comes to the British & Irish Lions. Whether it is training schedules, opposition tactics or not being afraid to talk about targeting victories, and clean sweeps, the former Leinster and Ireland flanker is as […]

5 years ago

“So much for the Saracens contingent.” In May 2019, at St James’ Park in Newcastle, Saracens paraded their third European Cup around the pitch and posed for photos as Leinster players sloped off the pitch. The dominance of the English side was so complete, in the second half, that Leinster were not only running into […]

5 years ago

“Greed is good!” The SportsJOE 12 o’clock quiz has not been able to think much more besides greed and The Super League breakaway proposals, these past few days, so we decided to create our latest quiz about it. The league, that is. Good luck, and let us know how you get on. As Gordon Gekko […]

5 years ago

Spoken like a true sage. Consider that Patrick Bamford had just come off the pitch after tearing around for Marcelo Bielsa for 94 minutes. Consider that he was one of the first professional footballers to have a microphone thrust in his face and asked to sum up the madness of The Super League breakaway. And […]

5 years ago

Of all the takes on the Super League machinations, this may be the closest to the Arctic Circle. Ian Holloway wins the award for most bizarre European Super League rabbit-hole journey of the day. We are all getting hot and bothered about the freshly announced plans of 12 big European sides trying to cleave themselves […]

5 years ago

“Everybody is excited. There’s a lot of hype already.” Some interesting thoughts on the front row battles coming up this summer, from two of the best props in recent rugby history. Sport has proved such a welcome distraction to so many, over the past 15 months, and South African rugby fans are embracing all that […]

5 years ago

“Would he tempt you to come out of retirement, to have a pop off him?!” Tendai Mtawawira has heard plenty about Ellis Genge since he declared the England prop needed to be ‘dealt with properly’ following his rough treatment of Johnny Sexton. ‘The Beast’, who played 117 Tests for South Africa, joined us on House […]

5 years ago

The European Super League has a flash website and reams of lofty statements, but public sentiment may yet force a U-turn. Growing up, one of my best friends stopped going to Manchester United games and vowed he would not give the Glazer family a cent. He was 26 years old, back in 2005, and was […]

5 years ago

The sort of connection with football fans that made him loved at Athletic Bilbao, Manchester United and PSG. The (fat) cat is out of the bag about European Super League plans – involving 12 of the continent’s biggest sides – and the outcry is enormous. Ander Herrera has captured the public mood with an evocative […]

5 years ago

It will be interesting to see what the German has to say on the matter, this evening. Jürgen Klopp has always spoken about the deep connection he feels for Liverpool Football Club and their fans. News of a breakaway European Super League is putting the club and so many of their fans on a direct […]

5 years ago

“Bar staying fit, there’s nothing more the players can do.” We are now just over two weeks away from British & Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland naming his squad to tour South Africa, this summer. There is a growing sense that there could be several top England stars missing out. The topsy-turvy nature of […]

5 years ago

“You what the motivation is, it’s greed.” Gary Neville has been lauded for his impassioned take on plans made by six of English football’s top clubs to break away and join a European Super League. Ahead of a Uefa announcement, on Monday, about expected changes to the Champions League format, several of Europe’s top clubs […]

5 years ago

A seismic change since the former England star spoke with us on House of Rugby. Ugo Monye has six Welsh players in his Lions XV for the First Test against South Africa, this summer, with five from Ireland and two apiece from England and Scotland. If you want to see how much the fortunes of […]

5 years ago

IRELAND 15-56 FRANCE Ireland would have fancied their chances at upsetting France in Donnybrook, but they were blown away well before it was even half-time. The full Ireland ratings make for tough reading. A 45-0 win over Wales, last weekend, gave Ireland hope that they could match France, but their No.8 Emeline Gros fired off […]

5 years ago

“I was 18 when I found out there was a Leinster rugby team.” For Niall Ronan, GAA was the passion and the goal as he was growing up in Meath. Leinster were a few years into that professionalism lark, around 2000, and they were barely on his radar. He won the Senior Schools Leinster Championships, […]

5 years ago

“He’s got the taste of Wembley in his nostrils!” The SportsJOE 12 o’clock quiz has a ding-dust humdinger for you all today, and no mistake. Keep your wits about you and you could get out of here with a 16 or 17 out of 20.

5 years ago

“To score that many points, and keep Wales to ‘0’, was incredible.” The highest of praise went to Beibhinn Parsons, Eimear Considine and Hannah Tyrrell, after Ireland’s opening 2021 Six Nations win, but Dorothy Wall and her packmates sent out multiple statements of intent. Having been in and around the Irish squad in the build-up […]

5 years ago

“Warren, you didn’t pick too many Scots the last two times. No excuses this time, eh?” Of all the questions to get thrown at British & Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland, on Tuesday, this one got his back up the most. There has not been much Scottish representation on recent Lions Tours and one […]

5 years ago

“I am thrilled and honoured to be coming back home to play for Munster.” As home-comings go, Simon Zebo heading back to Munster will lift many a spirit. For Niall Ronan, though, he will not be fully content until Ronan O’Gara is back as head coach of the province. The Rainbow Cup offers Munster the […]

5 years ago

“It’s like a continuous, vicious circle.” On the latest episode of House of Rugby, former Leinster back-row Sean O’Brien was making Welsh star Jonathan Davies extremely jealous of the set-up at his old team. Leinster have just claimed their fourth consecutive PRO14 title and are the only non-French side in the last four of the Champions […]

5 years ago

“He’s been an incredible player, hasn’t he?” It was no surprise to hear Johnny Sexton’s name cropping up when the British & Irish Lions coaches were discussing their early squad selection debates. Caelan Doris and a couple of his Ireland teammates will be heartened to hear they were also mentioned. Lions head coach Warren Gatland […]

5 years ago

“We sat down yesterday and discussed 57 players. There’s plenty of variety there.” Shortly after he was announced as British & Irish Lions scrum coach, Robin McBryde provided a fascinating insight into the early selection chat for the 2021 tour to South Africa. Head coach Warren Gatland announced his coaching ticket, on Tuesday, and we […]

5 years ago

“Their D.N.A is not going to change.” Warren Gatland broke into a smile as he recalled the immediate reactions of Robin McBryde and Steve Tandy to being named as British & Irish Lions coaches: TANDY: ‘Oh my God, I’m shaking at the knees, I’m just so excited’ MCBRYDE: ‘I don’t know what to do with […]

5 years ago

“My philosophy has always been about family first.” Warren Gatland has announced his coaching ticket for the 2021 British & Irish Lions Tour to South Africa, but he had to field questions on why Andy Farrell and Graham Rowntree are not involved. Both Farrell and Rowntree were part of the 2017 tour to New Zealand […]

5 years ago

The Blues are starting to make some moves. Hot on the heels of Nick McCarthy returning to Leinster, from Munster, comes the signing of Michael Alaalatoa from the Crusaders. The 29-year-old, who has five Test caps for Samoa, is the brother of Wallabies forward Allan Alaalatoa and son of Vili Alaalatoa, who also represented Samoa. His […]

5 years ago

“You look at what Leinster did to Exeter, their supposed best team. They could have beaten them by more there.” So many Leinster players got the better of their opposite number, at Sandy Park, and Hugo Keenan made a strong case to be pushing Stuart Hogg for game-time on the British & Irish Lions tour. […]

5 years ago

Hell hath no fury like a Scottish rugby fan thinking a Lions shoo-in is going to miss the cut. Hamish Watson – best player in the Six Nations but not good enough for the Lions Tour? Tell us more. On one level, Stephen Jones has a point in his latest column for The Sunday Times. South […]

5 years ago

“I did a bit of a mix and match.” Danny Care has already ruffled Munster feathers, this season. He is now in danger of cheesing off the other three provinces too. The Harlequins and England scrumhalf has been a neat addition to the BBC’s Rugby Union Weekly line-up, these past two seasons, and he is […]

5 years ago

On again. Off again. On again. Off again. The Rainbow Cup has been batting its’ eyelids at us for months now, but uncertainty remains over whether or not it will go ahead. With the Guinness PRO14 wrapped in a neat bow and Leinster holding onto their trophy, the next slate of rugby fixtures are supposed […]

5 years ago

‘Paid in full!’ Back in January, the build-up and aftermath of Poirier vs. McGregor at UFC 257 was a complete love-fest. For so long, we had come to expect vitriol, square-ups and Dana White on a hair-trigger to break up any brawls or bottle-throwing. McGregor had shown a different side to his infamous pre-fight antics […]

5 years ago

“Who knows when I’ll be able to go home to Ireland, if I’ll be able to go home to Ireland.” Shane Lowry was fired up after he finished up The Masters with a round of 72 to finish level par for the championship, and in a tie for 21st. The Offaly native cut a disgruntled […]

5 years ago

The performance of Josh van der Flier had former Wales and Lions captain Sam Warburton purring. While most Exeter supporters, and the wider English rugby public, had no issues with Leinster’s Champions Cup win at Sandy Park, Austin Healey found one. Leinster went to the home of the 2020 European champions and, not anywhere in […]

5 years ago

“No, no! You want to be a Lion. Don’t give me that!” Just like his dogged, inspirational performance against Exeter Chiefs, Robbie Henshaw was giving nothing away. The Leinster centre had another one of his big, big games as he marshalled his backline through an epic Champions Cup battle at Sandy Park. Henshaw has been […]

5 years ago

EXETER 22-34 LEINSTER “The old order has been re-established. The champions dethroned on their own turf.” So said BT Sport as Leinster reminded Europe what they were all about. The four-time champions rebounded from conceding two early tries to ultimately outgun Exeter Chiefs and reach the Champions Cup semi finals. The 2019/20 champions went 14-0 […]

5 years ago

“Are you joking?! They would not come out and pass with me if their lives depended on it!” Dorothy Wall may come from a big rugby family, down in Tipperary, but she was often hard pressed to find someone to kick about with once she started to give the sport a serious go. Wall’s three […]

5 years ago

“That was an absolute rookie mistake!” Back in November 2018, Beibhinn Parsons made her Ireland debut in Donnybrook against a strong USA team. She was only 16 years old, but was clearly going places. Irish rugby has shown no hesitation, over the years, in fast-tracking a young talent if those in the know believe they […]

5 years ago

“He just ran in his boxers to make it realistic, that it wasn’t him!” Rhys Ruddock is having another outstanding season and still generating British & Irish Lions talk, despite only playing once in the Six Nations. For those that have been following Leinster’s season closely, and Ruddock for the past number of years, it […]

5 years ago

“Was that your dad you hit?” Not the sort of question Rory McIlroy was expecting to answer as he teed off at Augusta National on Thursday morning. The four-time Major winner was one of the early starters at the 2021 US Masters and was on even par until he got to the fifth hole. It […]

5 years ago

“We are extremely confident in the squad we have selected.” So declared Ireland Women head coach Adam Grigg as he announced his matchday 23 for their 2021 Six Nations opener against Wales. Seven star Eve Higgins is the only uncapped player named in Ireland’s starting XV, with uncapped backs Emily Lane and Stacey Flood included on […]

5 years ago

23 of the players selected for the last British & Irish Lions Tour had experience of player multiple positions at Test level. On a recent episode of House of Rugby, former Lions Sam Warburton and Sean O’Brien marvelled at the sustained excellence of Munster and Ireland winger Keith Earls. When discussing a Lions back three to […]

5 years ago

“You don’t look too bad!” Eben Etzebeth has been a mountain of a rugby player ever since he took a big stretch at the age of 15, and never looked back. The Toulon and South Africa lock, who has recently dabbled at blindside flanker in the Top 14, stretches the tape to 6-foot-9 [just over […]

5 years ago

‘You are privileged. You are the chosen few. Many are considered but few are chosen.’ So went that famous Jim Telfer speech, on the 1997 British & Irish Lions Tour to South Africa. Now, the Scot has chosen his select 15. The former Scotland and Lions No.8 was head coach of the Lions in 1983, […]

5 years ago

“So that’s a really cool perspective to have.” Rory McIlroy is heading into his 13th US Masters tournament with just about every omen pointing against him ending his long wait for a fifth Major. A recent McIlroy Woods meeting, though, has altered his outlook. The Holywood native has three Top 5 finishes at Augusta National, […]

5 years ago

“He’s had an absolute howler” The SportsJOE 12 o’clock quiz features a line-up of legends today and looks back on a couple of sports movie classics. If you keep your nerve, you could get out of here with a score of 17 or 18. For more editions of the SportsJOE 12 o’clock quiz, and our […]

5 years ago

REAL MADRID 3-1 LIVERPOOL Trent Alexander Arnold is a great player having an average season. A couple of decent outings against Leipzig and Arsenal was never going to alter that fact. Liverpool were outclassed by Real Madrid for much of their Champions League quarter final first leg but they did grab an away goal in […]

5 years ago

“Come on now. You should’ve had way more caps!” Can you be underrated and still have 70 Ireland caps, 260+ club appearances, four European Cups and three Six Nations titles to your name? If your name is Devin Toner, the answer is yes. The big Leinster lock surpassed Gordon D’Arcy, recently, as his province’s most […]

5 years ago

“They were swinging it out!” Roy Keane was involved in a fair few training ground flare-ups in his day, and he was on hand with a great line to diffuse the situation. Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is dealing with two headaches after his side’s 5-2 league defeat to West Brom. The first was the training […]

5 years ago

“When he’s in form he’s a hard man to stop.” Having been a key part of a British & Irish Lions team to beat South Africa, back in 1997, Jeremy Guscott knows a thing or two about getting the job done against a world champion side. The former Bath and England centre has been keeping […]

5 years ago