The IRFU may have left it a little later than normal this season, but the announcement of four contract extensions for senior Irish players, Connacht’s Bundee Aki and the Leinster trio of Dan Sheehan, Jamison Gibson-Park and Josh van der Flier further nails down one of the planning pieces for Irish coach Andy Farrell. All … Read more
Bundee Aki came back into the Irish squad this week with a view of claiming pitch time ahead of Ireland’s fourth game of this year’s Six Nations Championship against Wales on Friday in Aviva Stadium (KO: 8.10pm). Aki, who played for Connacht last weekend in their 15-10 win over Glasgow Warriors in the United Rugby … Read more
Andy Farrell will have to plan without Bundee Aki for the opening weeks of the Six Nations, after the Connacht centre picked up a four-game ban for ‘verbal abuse and disrespect’ towards the match officials in Saturday’s defeat to Leinster. Aki was initially handed a six-game ban, but the last two of those were suspended. … Read more
First and foremost, it would be a terrible shame if the six-week suspension, with two weeks suspended, meted out to Bundee Aki on Wednesday night for verbally abusing match officials marked the end of his storied international career with Ireland. This would be no way to end it. Of course, by the same token, the … Read more
Bundee Aki will miss Ireland‘s first three Six Nations matches after he was handed a six-week suspension, with two weeks suspended for two years, after an Independent Disciplinary Committee upheld a misconduct complaint against the centre over interactions with match officials following Connacht’s defeat to Leinster at Dexcom Stadium last Saturday. Aki was a replacement … Read more
Mack Hansen, one of four returning Ireland internationals, has been named at fullback, for Connacht’s history making URC fixture against Munster in Castlebar. The 27-year-old has played the majority of his rugby on the wing for club and country but has plenty of experience in the 15-jersey dating back to his days in Australia. It … Read more
With Round Three of the Six Nations in the books and the British & Irish Lions tour to Australia edging closer into view, it’s time to pick our Lions Team of the Week. It was an interesting weekend from a Lions perspective as Ireland misfired somewhat and were missing a handful of key personnel against … Read more
There was no disputing the most iconic rugby image of the weekend. Did you see that magnificent picture of Bundee Aki in Cardiff, complete with heroically battered nose and blood-stained Ireland shirt? As the BBC commentator Andrew Cotter wryly observed: “Bundee Aki looks like he’s about to wrestle the whole of Cardiff … and I … Read more
Following an enthralling round of the 2025 Six Nations, Wallabies great David Campese selects his Team of the Week. My overriding thoughts on the fixtures in this round was the sheer contrast of shades of Test rugby that we saw. The hwyl of Wales in their performance against Ireland needs to be applauded, whilst the … Read more