Who is playing, when and where? After a week’s break, Ireland face Wales in their third match of the Six Nations on Saturday, at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. Kick-off is at 2.15pm. How can I watch it? You can watch the game on Virgin Media One in Ireland, coverage starts at 1pm. In the … Read more
An apocryphal story in coaching circles tells the tale of a new head coach who walks into his office on day one and finds three sealed envelopes on his desk. Written by the outgoing coach who was just sacked for a series of poor results, the first envelope was labelled “Open after losing five games”. … Read more
If the reaction to his media appearances is anything to go by, Irish rugby cares greatly for the opinion of Ronan O’Gara. Following La Rochelle’s defeat Leinster last month, he spoke on the prospect of a knockout rematch. While O’Gara backed his charges to come good, the former Ireland outhalf also warned of one impending … Read more
Dan Sheehan is set to be named as the latest Ireland captain for Saturday’s Six Nations match against Wales in Cardiff when the team is announced on Thursday morning. Both regular captain Caelan Doris and Rónan Kelleher have been ruled out of the round three tie, and the signs are that Sheehan has been asked … Read more
Ross Byrne will join Gloucester from next season onwards after agreeing a three-year deal with the Premiership club. The 29-year-old Leinster and Ireland outhalf had attracted interest from England and France, with firm offers from Leicester Tigers and Montpellier, but has opted for the West Country club. Byrne will thus end a 10-season career with … Read more
The intense rivalry between Ireland and Wales from my playing days wasn’t imagined. Familiarity didn’t breed contempt, but it did manage to foster a dislike for one another on the pitch. Off it some of the best nights out I had during my international career were in Cardiff. There were some proper scraps on the … Read more
Ireland and New Zealand will return to Chicago on Saturday, November 1st, nine years after the two countries met there for the first time in what proved to be a historic milestone in Irish rugby. It will be Irish head coach Andy Farrell’s first game back in charge after his sabbatical to coach the British … Read more
A “bounce” is a real thing, not just a figment of our imagination. It doesn’t always happen when a new head coach or a new manager takes over in any team sport but it can have a dramatic impact. Sport is littered with examples of it working. It’s why so many head coaches or managers … Read more
After the first fallow weekend, the Six Nations kicks back into gear this week with Ireland travelling to Cardiff. However, across the first two rounds of the tournament, Ireland have ranked second bottom of all six teams for lineout success rate. This fits in with the narrative of the Irish coaches battling to fix a … Read more
Time to take a well-earned breather. Time also for lingering over a long lunch with an old friend – nothing could be better. He’s not a former referee but a former player who always brings extremely interesting opinions to the table. We discussed many aspects of the rugby we’ve seen so far in this season’s … Read more