Confidence represents a fuel source for the individual and the team, one that drives success in all its forms, whether it is accomplished performances or the ultimate collective goal, winning trophies. Its absence can make the best players appear hesitant and unsure and great teams distinctly ordinary. Confidence can come from a single source, a … Read more
MUNSTER HAVE ADDED recent signing Ben O’Donovan to their Challenge Cup squad ahead of Saturday’s Round of 16 visit to Exeter. The 21-year-old Kiwi scrum-half, who is Irish-qualified, recently signed for Munster on an 18-month deal and will hope to make his debut soon. O’Donovan featured for the New Zealand U20s in 2024, but he … Read more
Coming in the wake of a vintage Six Nations, last weekend seemed a little anticlimactic, in the United Rugby Championship (URC) anyway, if not so much the All-Ireland League (AIL). Coming amid Ireland’s World Cup football qualifier(s), next weekend’s URC matches are unlikely to dominate the sporting firmament either, yet these will heavily affect the … Read more
Any disappointment Leinster might feel at finishing the pool stages as third seeds, failing to earn a top-two draw for the fourth season in a row, has been offset by them ending up in the opposite half of the draw to reigning champions Bordeaux Bègles and six-time winners Toulouse. As the only Irish side still … Read more
Challenge Cup: Connacht 75 Montauban 14 Connacht’s investment in young players is paying dividends for the province, seeing them march on to the Challenge Cup knockout stages. Head coach Stuart Lancaster said confidence is growing with a “very good group of young players coming through” after their 75-14 demolition of Montauban in their final pool … Read more
Harry Byrne’s late heroics in Leinster’s 25-24 win over La Rochelle last weekend have earned him a start at outhalf ahead of Sam Prendergast, who’ll take a place on the bench for the province’s Champions Cup trip to Bayonne on Saturday (kick-off 3.15pm Irish time). Leo Cullen’s side is boosted by returns from injury for … Read more
Bath have made four changes from the team that defeated Leicester Tigers for their Challenge Cup final against Lyon on Friday night. They are split equally between forwards and backs, with two being in the backline and Johann van Graan making as many changes up front. At full-back, Tom de Glanville returns to the side … Read more
Despite an early red card to Wame Naituvi and a spirited fightback, Racing 92 held on to claim a famous 43-40 win over Connacht to progress to the Challenge Cup semi-finals. The winger was shown a straight red card after just 12 minutes in the entertaining contest, as his team were 14-5 down. The win for … Read more
Connacht make 5 changes for Racing 92 clash · The 42 … Source link
The Champions and Challenge Cups were shoehorned back into the rugby calendar after a 10-week hiatus following the conclusion of the pool stages in January, a window of a fortnight to race through the first two knockout rounds that unearthed a jarring inconsistency in the attitude of some of the participants. From an Irish perspective, … Read more