Six Nations: France v Ireland, Stade de France, Thursday, 9.10pm (8.10pm Irish time) – Live on Virgin Media One and ITV The 2026 Six Nations is upon us with a heavyweight collision between the winners of the last four titles, yet Paris has looked uninterested as well as chic in the winter sun. So far, … Read more
Once upon a time, Matthieu Jalibert made his debut for France. He played alongside Antoine Dupont at the Stade de France on that February day in 2018. Ireland players and supporters have fond memories of the occasion, especially one of Andy Farrell’s current coaching cadre, Johnny Sexton. Sexton, Ireland’s captain, outhalf and, briefly, Jalibert’s counterpart … Read more
If you want to make everyone happy then don’t be a leader. Sell ice cream instead. They’re the words of Steve Jobs. Nowadays it might apply less than he thought. Someone will say they are allergic, others won’t like the texture, someone will point out that it was better five years ago. International rugby is … Read more
Ireland will open their 2027 World Cup campaign in Australia with a game against Portugal in Sydney on Monday, October 4th. The World Cup fixtures and dates were confirmed on Monday night, and Andy Farrell’s charges will have a three-venue schedule in Pool D. Six days after the Portugal fixture Ireland take on Six Nations … Read more
“I think there was no rucks on any.” Noel McNamara knew his calling card. During a recent Champions Cup victory away to Bristol, Union Bordeaux Bègles (UBB) had the impressive feat of avoiding a single attacking ruck during three of their four tries. Or so this correspondent thought when starting off a conversation with the … Read more
Ireland (v France) 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, Jack Crowley. Key reads: … Read more
About five years ago, Caelan Doris arrived at a blind crossroads. He believed he knew the way he had come and where he was headed, but he didn’t know the guts of it yet, or the truth of it. A series of concussions had led Doris to a specialist in the UK. He had been … Read more
A few weeks back, I wrote about the benefit to Ireland of Ciarán Frawley’s move to Connacht next season. More outhalves wearing the 10 jersey can only be a positive. Less stockpiling of genuinely good players. Now, less than a week out from the Six Nations opener in Paris, Michael Milne’s decision last April to … Read more
Ireland attack coach Andrew Goodman has indicated Bundee Aki will be considered for the last two Six Nations games at home to Wales and Scotland, at which point his four-game suspension for misconduct after Connacht’s loss to Leinster last weekend will be served. The IRFU weighed in on the issue before the URC’s Independent Committee … Read more
Ireland Edwin Edogbo The phrase that usually accompanies the Munster secondrow is ‘force of nature’. Like Leinster’s Joe McCarthy, Edogbo has a natural physical strength that is unusual in Irish players. Injury has plagued him, but he is back in the fold as a player who can put his stamp on a game. Munster coach … Read more