Dave Shanahan in action for Ballymena. Source: Brian Little DAVE SHANAHAN WILL make his first start for Ulster when the northern province take on Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park on Sunday in Pool 5 of the European Champions Cup [KO 5.30pm, BT Sport 2]. Having played 10 times for Ulster as a substitute, the 23-year-old […]
CONNACHT’S SEARCH FOR a successor to Pat Lam will continue without two of the fancied contenders, following confirmation that former All Blacks Tony Brown and Jono Gibbes are not in the running to take over at the Sportsground. Former All Blacks out-half Tony Brown emerged as a favourite over the weekend but he has since […]
Nemani Nadolo Source: James Crombie/INPHO MONTPELLIER KEPT THEIR hopes of reaching the European Champions Cup quarter-finals alive last night, and they can be thankful to Nemani Nadolo for playing a huge role in helping them to do so. The French side bounced back from last week’s 57-3 defeat to Leinster — after which Nadolo said […]
Murray Kinsella reports from Murrayfield THERE WERE MANY reasons Joe Schmidt liked Nathan Hines so much back in their glory days at Leinster. The former lock – now part of Scotland’s coaching staff – was a brilliant lineout operator, a ruck machine, a stunningly good cheat, had the hands of a back, offloaded like a […]
MATT GITEAU HAS announced his departure from Toulon at the end of the French Top 14 season to embark on a new chapter in his career in Japan. “Taking this decision was the most difficult of my rugby career but it’s the best for my family to be closer to Australia,” the Wallaby playmaker explained […]
ALREADY A WEEKEND of bumper success in Italy, the women are hoping to make it a perfect three out of three for Ireland’s Six Nations sides later today. [KO 1pm, Irish time – live on RTÉ Two] Ireland celebrate last weekend’s winning try. Source: Craig Watson/INPHO Ireland enter their second clash of the series off […]
WOMEN’S RUGBY WORLD Cup rights holder, eir Sport, has agreed to sub-licence Ireland games to RTÉ meaning Virgin Media customers will be able to see the hosts in action. The agreement means both eir Sport and RTÉ will show all of Ireland’s games during the tournament as well as the final at Ulster’s Kingspan Stadium […]
Click here for more of The42′s Ireland v England anniversary series > JUST A FEW days prior to facing Ireland at Croke Park, England coach Brian Ashton decided to give his players a history lesson. He felt it important his side were aware of the political significance of the game and the magnitude of it. […]
Source: Billy Stickland/INPHO Home Johnny Sexton is fit for the upcoming Six Nations clash with France but kicking coach Richie Murphy has insisted the out-half ‘has no divine right to get picked’. Meanwhile, Les Bleus will be without Mathieu Bastareaud and Damien Chouly for Saturday’s encounter – the former because of concussion, the latter due to an […]
A MATHEMATICS STUDENT in his off-field life, there aren’t too many on-field situations which cause Iain Henderson to cross his study and rugby wires. In the analysis room however, Ireland’s coaches make sure to boil down certain nuggets into cold, hard and inescapable numbers. “It is difficult to take emotion out of playing the game […]