Making his mark: IRFU performance director David Humphreys. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile It’s coming up on a year since David Humphreys took over as IRFU performance director, and the former Ulster and Ireland out-half has wasted no time in putting his own stamp on how Irish rugby operates. Last May, shortly after Humphreys replaced David … Read more
Leinster head coach Leo Cullen celebrates with Sam Prendergast after their victory over Glasgow in the Champions Cup quarter-final at the Aviva Stadium. Photo: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile Leinster’s Champions Cup semi-final against Northampton Saints will take place at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday May 3 at 5.30. In what is a repeat of last year’s semi-final, … Read more
Northampton set up a repeat of last season’s Investec Champions Cup semi-final against Leinster with a 51-16 rout of Castres. It was a good day for the English side but suffered the setback of a George Furbank injury. The fullback has been out since December because of a fractured right arm but having stepped off … Read more
Leinster 47 Glasgow 0 72 mins: Leinster once again tackle the 9 within a metre of the ruck, falling foul of the new law. McGrath the culprit this time. Glasgow go to the corner. 70 mins: O’Brien puts in a good kick off turnover ball to find touch inside the Glasgow half. Every time Glasgow … Read more
Rarely have an All Black and a Springbok played in the same team at the top of their game – Leo Cullen’s side are hoping it’s the difference-maker for them this season Leinster pair Jordie Barrett (left) and RG Snyman are enjoying working together. Photo: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile There cannot be many examples over the years … Read more
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
Leinster sold 17,000 tickets for Friday’s Champions Cup quarterfinal against Glasgow in Aviva Stadium to season ticket holders before they went on public sale at 2pm on Monday. Since, then sales have been brisk for the knockout match and were edging towards 20,000 since the sales opened. Leinster will have what they call the “lower … Read more
And then there was one. English club rugby’s sole survivors in Europe are Northampton, who have a winnable home Champions Cup quarter-final against Castres this Saturday, but otherwise the flag of St George hangs limply at half‑mast. To suggest the Premiership’s contenders had an underwhelming weekend is like saying global share prices have taken a … Read more
BREAKING | Tom Colton. Photo: Lorraine Teevan A self-proclaimed medium and convicted fraudster dubbed “the psychic swindler” has been given a nine-month suspended sentence for acting as a company director while disqualified from doing so. The sentence was handed down today after Tom Colton (49), a former accountant and rugby referee, admitted being director and secretary … Read more
Munster will take their Champions Cup roadshow further down the French Atlantic coast to Bordeaux Bègles after the latter’s entertaining 43-31 Round of 16 win over a doggedly defiant Ulster set up a quarter-final between the two in the Stade Chaban-Delmas next Saturday (kick-off 4pm local time/3pm Irish time). Following on from their titanic 25-24 … Read more