From being in full control to a nervy finishScotland 18 Ireland 21: PHEW AGAINMon Feb 28 2011 - 00:00
Ireland must earn the right to playRUGBY: EDINBURGH CASTLE and the other landmarks of this charming city were resplendent in winter sunshine yesterday, but tomorrow…Sat Feb 26 2011 - 00:00
Robinson opts for radical overhaulAS PART of a rallying call to “restore pride” in the Scottish jersey, Andy Robinson has pretty much overhauled the outfit which…Thu Feb 24 2011 - 00:00
BJ Botha set to join MunsterNEWS ROUND-UP: BJ BOTHA is set to join Munster on a two-year contract from next seasonThu Feb 24 2011 - 00:00
O'Driscoll dismisses Gaffney's theorySIX NATIONS SCOTLAND v IRELAND : IT HARDLY counts as dissension in the ranks, but no sooner had on-field communication been …Thu Feb 24 2011 - 00:00
O'Gara likely to start against ScotlandWITH PETER Stringer added to the Ireland squad, in part because of ongoing concerns over Tomás O’Leary’s back problems, and Ronan…Wed Feb 23 2011 - 00:00
Gaffney pinpoints some basic failingsSIX NATIONS SCOTLAND v IRELAND: THE IRELAND backs’ coach, Alan Gaffney, yesterday admitted there is an anxiousness and a lack…Wed Feb 23 2011 - 00:00
Veteran again out in the cold, but Bowe may startSIX NATIONS NEWS: PETER STRINGER has again been overlooked by Ireland coach Declan Kidney, who has added eight other players…Tue Feb 22 2011 - 00:00
Munster have much to proveMAGNERS LEAGUE Munster v Edinburgh: MUNSTER seek to return to winning ways at home to Edinburgh tonight after their defeat to…Fri Feb 18 2011 - 00:00
Lièvremont swayed to go for stabilityRUGBY: IT IS a measure of both France’s content and intent that the Tinkerman has resisted the temptation to tinkerWed Feb 09 2011 - 00:00
Scrumhalf points to backline flawsRUGBY: IRELAND HAVE had better days in Rome and after such a mixed bag of a performance the feelings in the away dressingroom…Tue Feb 08 2011 - 00:00
'I just felt very relaxed'AFTER-MATCH REACTION RONAN O’GARA: HE’S DONE it more times than he can possibly remember himself, indeed so many times now he…Mon Feb 07 2011 - 00:00
Fitzgerald points to positives in fullback role and team's responseAFTER MATCH REACTION: FOR LUKE Fitzgerald, Saturday in Rome was almost like a first capMon Feb 07 2011 - 00:00
Ireland back in the familiar role of underdogsTHE “VENI, vidi, Visa” days are over and, for a few eye-popping minutes on Saturday, it seemed the “vici” days had gone too. …Mon Feb 07 2011 - 00:00
Multi-million euro package keeps Irish rugby stars at homeTHREE OF the biggest names in Irish rugby have signed new contracts in a multimillion-euro deal that will see them stay on home…Fri Feb 04 2011 - 00:00
McFadden makes first start but Kidney springs few surprisesRUGBY: NO GREAT surprises, no curve ballsWed Feb 02 2011 - 00:00
Good Six nations would make World of a differenceON RUGBY: Declan Kidney’s twin ambitions of Ireland doing well in the domestic tournament and in New Zealand in September can…Tue Feb 01 2011 - 00:00
Provinces get carrot of home semi-finalsHEINEKEN CUP: TWO EUROPEAN superpowers lurk in their way, but at least Leinster won’t have to leave Dublin until a potential…Mon Jan 24 2011 - 00:00
Munster out-hit, out-thought and out of the quarter-finalsToulon 32 Munster 16: IN THE final analysis, Munster could have few complaintsMon Jan 17 2011 - 00:00
Munster have the skills and the ethicFor much of the time, the Heineken Cup can re-visit dog-eared scriptsSun Jan 16 2011 - 00:00
Provincial hat-trick can steady the fleetRUGBY: IS THIS the end? On a weekend set to define the Irish season like few others – until next weekend anyway – all three …Sat Jan 15 2011 - 00:00
Munster have the skills and the ethicRUGBY: FOR MUCH of the time, the Heineken Cup can re-visit dog-eared scriptsSat Jan 15 2011 - 00:00
O'Connell set to start for Munster in ToulonHEINEKEN CUP NEWS ROUND-UP: COMETH their hour of need, cometh SupermanThu Jan 13 2011 - 00:00
Likely to stay: O'Brien on verge of Ireland dealTHE odds on Seán O’Brien leaving Leinster at the end of the season have receded, with the Ireland flanker seemingly on the verge…Wed Jan 12 2011 - 00:00
Munster could do with Leinster-style Wembley displayON RUGBY: LEINSTER AND Munster head into their final two similarly tricky, defining Heineken Cup pool games – banana skins at…Tue Jan 11 2011 - 00:00
Munster propping crisis eases as Hayes and Buckley recoverHEINEKEN CUP/AMLIN CHALLENGE CUP: JOHN HAYES and Tony Buckley are expected to resume full training with Munster in Cork tomorrow…Tue Jan 11 2011 - 00:00
Leinster's resources to see off OspreysRUGBY MAGNERS LEAGUE: Leinster v Ospreys: OUTSIDE OF local derbies, a visit from the Ospreys is probably the marquee fixture…Fri Jan 07 2011 - 00:00
Big guns return ahead of action in EuropeRugby: THE HOLIDAY programme of derbies was diluted by last week’s Irish training camp, by the player welfare programme and …Wed Jan 05 2011 - 00:00
Court and Ulster need to step upFOR BOTH Tom Court and Ulster, the next few weeks (with the Six Nations opener away to Italy less than a month away) could make…Wed Jan 05 2011 - 00:00
Munster will need all their nous to make clean escapePOOL ONE : NORTHAMPTON can become the first club to reach the quarters by beating Edinburgh at home on the penultimate Friday…Thu Dec 23 2010 - 00:00
Leinster are best placed of Irish sides going forwardON RUGBY: HATS OFF to the ERC once moreTue Dec 21 2010 - 00:00
Leinster set up to make it hot for Clermont at freezing AvivaRUGBY: CONDITIONS ARE liable to be far from feverish given the arctic forecast, but, fittingly, the Aviva has under-soil heating…Sat Dec 18 2010 - 00:00
O'Connell likely to appeal banRUGBY NEWS: MUNSTER ARE expected to appeal the four-week suspension handed down to Paul O’Connell yesterday by an ERC-appointed…Fri Dec 17 2010 - 00:00
Heaslip just the latest Leinster unlikely ladLEINSTER’S INJURY crisis worsens by the day and coach Joe Schmidt is pretty much resigned to being without Jamie Heaslip and …Wed Dec 15 2010 - 00:00
If Leinster thought last weekend was tough...ON RUGBY: AS HEINEKEN Cup weekends go, that was quite unusualTue Dec 14 2010 - 00:00
O'Connell set to learn his fateMUNSTER WILL learn Paul O’Connell’s fate on Thursday, when the Munster and Lions captain will attend an independent Disciplinary…Tue Dec 14 2010 - 00:00
Leinster and Schmidt don't expect any giftsRUGBY: ALL FOUR Irish provinces return to European action this weekend, and such is the nature of the group stages three of …Sat Dec 11 2010 - 00:00
Thomond Park factor can give Munster the X FactorRUGBY: THOMOND PARK has often spooked visiting teams from almost the moment they step into the Munster citadel, and even though…Sat Dec 11 2010 - 00:00
Knock-out aspect to back-to-back encountersRUGBY HEINEKEN CUP: IT’S BACK and, as ever with the Heineken Cup, never a moment too soonFri Dec 10 2010 - 00:00
Rugby authorities urged to tackle concussion head-onRUGBY AUTHORITIES have been urged to adopt stricter guidelines to safeguard players from the risks of concussion.Sat Dec 04 2010 - 00:00
New tiered price structure in placeSIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP AVIVA STADIUM TICKETS: THE IRFU have moved swiftly to atone for the errors in their ticketing strategy…Tue Nov 30 2010 - 00:00
The equator remains an impossibly broad divideON RUGBY: How is it that, when the European teams head south they seem to be running on empty, whereas when Southern Hemisphere…Tue Nov 30 2010 - 00:00
Autumn draws to satisfying closeRUGBY: IRELAND WRAPPED up the Guinness Series in satisfactory fashion and, after their most gruelling November, were entitled…Mon Nov 29 2010 - 00:00
Irish must front up then open upRUGBY: THE AVIVA’S under-soil heating has been switched on since yesterday, though come kick-off we may all be wishing it had…Sat Nov 27 2010 - 00:00
Friendship and mutual respectRUGBY: THE MUTUAL loathing may for once be dimmedSat Nov 27 2010 - 00:00
Stringer gets call to face ArgentinaRUGBY: PETER STRINGER and Geordan Murphy are set to be recalled to the Irish team when it is announced today for Sunday’s last…Fri Nov 26 2010 - 00:00
So much to learn from an encouraging performanceON RUGBY: Yes, the All Blacks are a superior force and Ireland have a lot of catching up to do, but the IRFU are operating on…Tue Nov 23 2010 - 00:00
Henry unveils strong selectionIRELAND v NEW ZEALAND: SAVE FOR one or two exceptions, Graham Henry pretty much unveiled his strongest selection for the third…Fri Nov 19 2010 - 00:00
