Imagine being told in advance of Thursday night’s Six Nations opener the following: Ireland’s set-pieces would hold their own, securing all four of their put-ins in the game’s 11 scrums and retaining all but one of their 17 lineout throws, and they’d only lose the penalty count 6-4. You’d have taken it and, indeed, presumed … Read more
Ireland XV 14 England A 52 Here is John O’Sullivan’s match report: [ Ireland XV shellacking to England A completes sober few days for Irish rugbyOpens in new window ] That’s it from me, good night! 80 mins: Try for England! An eighth try, by Roots, absolutely dominant. Even the referee can’t get out of the way … Read more
The obvious place to start is half-time, inside the Ireland changing room underneath a raucous Stade de France. The score is 22-0. The players come in, drenched to the bone. They need to catch their breath. Slow the heart rates right down. Drink some fluids. Take a moment to settle. The specialist coaches will speak … Read more
Ireland XV v England A Thomond Park (7.15pm, Premier Sports, Friday) “I honestly think it’s as important to us as any of these Six Nations games, because the lads have to know that they can handle what we’ve just been talking about [big match opportunity and responsibility] and then put in a performance. “Stepping up … Read more
Unsurprisingly, the French press were generous with their praise of Fabien Galthié’s men after a comprehensive 36-14 victory over Ireland. Dreams of a Grand Slam are alive and well amongst the scribes of Paris. L’Équipe labelled it the perfect start to the French Six Nations campaign, perhaps somewhat generously noting Ireland’s ability to keep France … Read more
Will the real Ireland please stand up? For 50 minutes, the move to mimic global trends of kick-heavy, transition rugby continued. The results were disastrous, Ireland gifting chaos to a French outfit that was already capable of finding it themselves. Andy Farrell’s side was given a lesson in modern attacking rugby. The French transition was … Read more
Six Nations: France v Ireland, 8.10pm IRELAND: Jamie Osborne; Tommy O’Brien, Garry Ringrose, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park; Jeremy Loughman, Dan Sheehan, Thomas Clarkson; Joe McCarthy, Tadhg Beirne; Cian Prendergast, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (capt). Replacements: Rónan Kelleher, Michael Milne, Finlay Bealham, James Ryan, Jack Conan, Nick Timoney, Craig Casey, … Read more
ITV will screen in-game commercials for the first time during Thursday’s Six Nations Championship opener between France and Ireland at Stade de France. The broadcaster’s new rights deal includes the option to air two split-screen adverts before a scrum is set in each half of every match of the Six Nations. ITV is understood to … Read more
Given he occupies the key defensive position of outside centre, perhaps no one is more compelled to buy into Leinster’s high-risk, high-reward defensive system than Garry Ringrose. In any case, he certainly seems to have embraced the Jacques Nienaber methodology more enthusiastically than anyone else. But the 69-times capped Irish centre has played down the … Read more
In 1860 Thomas Ogden opened a small tobacco shop on Liverpool’s Park Lane. By 1890 he had six factories in the city and in the early 20th century, they had become substantial enough to produce a series of cigarette cards depicting sporting heroes of the time. On one of those cards in 1902 was an … Read more