BAUTISTA DELGUY LOOKS to the sky over UCD and can only laugh. He is a speedster, with slick footballing skills and supreme balance. Heavy, soft turf and the prospect of slippery pills are not the conditions to best suit his game. “I do not like this weather much. It is not like Argentina,” he says. …
Read moreToner ready to reach out and grab ‘special’ win for Ireland
Updated 08.45 EVEN BEFORE IRELAND and Argentina reached the halfway point last week, many onlookers had already come to the conclusion that, without even taking the field, Devin Toner had played his way into the starting line-up for today’s clash with New Zealand (kick-off 7pm, RTE 2). The line-out struggled badly without the tallest of…
Read moreClontarf and Cork Con continue their All-Ireland League winning streaks
All-Ireland League, Division 1A UCC 22Clontarf 37 ALL-IRELAND LEAGUE Division 1A leaders Clontarf claimed their first try-scoring bonus point of the season as they overcame UCC 37-22 in an entertaining eight-try contest at the Mardyke this afternoon. Clontarf’s Ben Reilly. Source: Tommy Dickson/INPHO It was ‘Tarf’s sixth straight win, keeping them a point clear of…
Read moreEx-French international Lievremont sacked by Romania after just three games
FORMER FRANCE INTERNATIONAL Thomas Lievremont has been sacked as coach of Romania after winning just one of three matches in November, the national federation announced on Friday. Olivier Rieg, the fitness coach, has also been axed. “This decision is explained by the non-respect of several contractual clauses, taken on by the two coaches, which did…
Read moreTraining ground form fuelling confidence for Bryan Byrne ahead of inter-pros
WHILE THE MOST recognisable members of Leinster’s squad rolled from November Tests to Heineken Champions Cup clashes and then quickly returned focus to Ireland during a two-day camp, Bryan Byrne has been working consistently towards Saturday’s meeting with Connacht for the past three weeks. The hooker has yet to start a game in this campaign,…
Read more‘Eddie went past me just before and said, ‘get ready for a few grenades”
JOE SCHMIDT SAID he relishes the verbal ‘grenades’ coming in Ireland’s direction from England head coach Eddie Jones ahead of the Six Nations opener between the nations in Dublin. Jones has already stoked the fire in the build-up to the eagerly-anticipated Aviva Stadium showdown by claiming Ireland out-half Johnny Sexton has the ‘bat phone to…
Read moreSexton emerges as injury doubt for Toulouse, but Henshaw back in contention
JOHNNY SEXTON HAS not trained since sustaining a lower leg injury during Leinster’s inter-pro defeat to Munster two weekends ago and is now a major injury doubt for Saturday’s must-win clash against Toulouse. The Ireland out-half sustained the problem at Thomond Park and is now rated as ’50/50′ for this weekend’s crucial Heineken Champions Cup…
Read moreBleyendaal and Mathewson among 5 Munster players to sign new contracts
MUNSTER RUGBY HAVE announced that a number of players have signed contract extensions. Tyler Bleyendaal, Ciaran Parker and Alby Mathewson have extended their stay at the province, as have Greencore Munster Rugby Academy players Sean O’Connor and Keynan Knox. New Zealander Bleyendaal made his Munster debut in 2015, going on to appear 47 times and…
Read more‘A great day for them and a great day for Connacht’: Friend salutes international call-ups
CONNACHT HEAD COACH has described the inclusion of five of his players — three of them uncapped — in Joe Schmidt’s squad for the opening two rounds of the Six Nations as “a great day” for the western province. Caolin Blade, Jack Carty and Tom Farrell are the fresh faces to have been included alongside…
Read more‘Billy Vunipola does what he does best, he runs over fellas’
BILLY VUNIPOLA HAS played for England a handful of times in the last two years, but it’s fair to say that he hasn’t been able to show his true quality in the white shirt since 2016. That year, England won a Grand Slam, enjoyed a clean sweep of their June Test series in Australia and…
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