IRELAND WOMEN FACE a season of change after naming 12 uncapped players in their 30-strong squad for the upcoming Six Nations. Former captain Fiona Coghlan, centres Lynne Cantwell and Grace Davitt, and back rows Siobhan Fleming and Laura Guest have retired from international duty, meaning a major loss of experience. That said, new head coach Tom Tierney…
THEY’VE LOST THEIR Director of Rugby and star tighthead prop to Gloucester and now Ulster’s defence coach is set to make the same trip. Jonny Bell, who has been involved with the province as a player and a coach for 20 years, will move to the Premiership side at the end of the season to…
FROM LAWRENCE DALLAGLIO to Warren Gatland to Shane Horgan, everyone seems to be predicting Ireland will win their second successive Six Nations championship and the basis for their logic, unlike previous eras when pundits would have pointed to Brian O’Driscoll or Ronan O’Gara, is Joe Schmidt. This favourites tag is especially interesting because in international…
IRELAND V ENGLAND: in boxing terms you might say that these two just plain don’t like each other*. These two nations have been at one another’s throats since before they even knew what countries were. This Sunday, all that pent-up historical aggression will be unleashed through the medium of a potential title-decider in the Six…
CONNACHT HEAD COACH Pat Lam has brought the experience of Mils Muliaina and George Naoupu back into the starting line-up as he aims to finish this Pro12 block with a win. The league takes another break after this weekend’s round of fixtures with Connacht aiming for a third win from four to solidify their place…
IRELAND ARE IN Cardiff and have stretched their legs out before tomorrow enormous Six Nations meeting with Wales. While the weather forecast is promising dry conditions for tomorrow’s 14.30 kick-off, today’s Captain’s Run took place in dreary conditions in the Millennium Stadium. Sexton gets his side’s rhythm going Source: Billy Stickland/INPHO Simon Zebo getting a…
HBO paid tribute to the “McMahon Crime Family” (at the WWE Twitter account’s request) in a tweet commemorating The Sopranos’ twentieth anniversary. The network posted to Twitter noting that they were “handing out Soprano nicknames” in celebration of the show’s anniversary, which led to WWE replying. That earned Vince the title of capo in his…
Updated at 16.46 ROCKWELL BEAT ARDSCOIL Rís 23-13 to lift the Munster Schools Senior Cup at Thomond Park today, denying their Limerick opponents a first-ever title win in the process. It’s the Tipperary-based school’s 26th cup success and the first time since 2012 that they have triumphed in the competition. A cagey opening left the score…
LEINSTER HAVE ADDED Sean O’Brien and Cian Healy to their Champions Cup squad ahead of the quarter-final against Bath at the Aviva Stadium on 4 April. All remaining clubs in the knock-out stages of the leading European club competition and the second-tier Challenge Cup had the opportunity this week to nominate up to three players for…
LEINSTER HEAD COACH Matt O’Connor has picked former rugby league star Ben Te’o at outside centre for his side’s Champions Cup quarter-final against Bath at the Aviva Stadium tomorrow [KO 15.15]. Te’o will wear Leinster’s 13 shirt tomorrow. Source: Morgan Treacy/INPHO Te’o has been partnered with Ian Madigan in the Leinster midfield for the first…