Ireland caused shockwaves in 2011 by defeating Australia at the World Cup. Since triumphing in Sydney in 1979 they had won only two of the following 20 Tests against the Wallabies as the southern hemisphere established a gap over the north, closed briefly by England in the early 2000s. Now Ireland are second in the…
Month: March 2019
Keith Murdoch: disgraced All Black who ‘went bush’ in Australia dies at 74
Keith Murdoch played just three Tests for the All Blacks, but his name was etched in New Zealand rugby folklore after he became a recluse in the Australian outback following a scandal that ended his career. The hulking prop, whose death aged 74 was confirmed by New Zealand Rugby, became the only All Black ever…
Warren Gatland warns Lions must arrive earlier for 2021 South Africa tour
Warren Gatland has hit out at Premiership Rugby Limited and warned that British & Irish Lions players face the risk of serious injury if they are not given adequate time to prepare for the 2021 tour. Gatland – the Lions head coach in 2013 and 2017 – has repeatedly called for the team to be…
Eddie Jones insists England are ‘moving forward’ despite Ireland defeat
England slumped to their third successive defeat and their lowest position in the Six Nations for 12 years as Ireland became only the second side to secure a grand slam at Twickenham since France in 1981, but Eddie Jones insists his side is moving forward. Ireland seal grand slam with storming win over England in…
England’s Eddie Jones looks to get on front foot against Barbarians
The end-of-season encounter with the Barbarians at Twickenham on Sunday will be no frolic for Eddie Jones. The England head coach is smarting from a Six Nations campaign that started positively before three successive defeats dumped the champions into fifth place, their lowest finish in the tournament. The slump has not persuaded Jones that his…
Brumbies defy Cheika and pick Wallabies as stars caught in row
The Brumbies have defied Wallabies coach Michael Cheika by naming three star players at the centre of a tug-of-war between club and country to play this weekend. David Pocock, Scott Sio and Allan Alaalatoa are in the starting XV for Sunday’s Super Rugby match against the Sunwolves at GIO Stadium. The ACT team has been…
Leinster target Pro14 final win over Scarlets for Irish triple crown of titles
Two weeks after winning the European Champions Cup, Leinster have the opportunity to complete a green sweep. Victory over the Scarlets in the Pro14 final at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Saturday would deliver a triple crown after Ireland’s Six Nations grand slam. Leinster defeated the Scarlets even more comprehensively than the 38-16 scoreline…
David Pocock returns to tackle crucial change in ruck law
David Pocock will face his greatest challenge when he makes his comeback for the Brumbies against the NSW Waratahs in the Super Rugby game in Canberra on Saturday night. Yet Pocock’s test will not be his head-to-head clash with Waratahs openside flanker Michael Hooper or any other member of the NSW backrow, but the new…
England women’s grand slam dreams shattered by France in Six Nations
England’s dreams of a second successive grand slam were shattered at Stade des Alpes last night. The team, led again by Sarah Hunter, can still win the Six Nations title in Coventry on Friday night but France secured victory with a last-minute try by their outstanding full-back Jessy Tremouliere. The crowd of 17,434 in Grenoble…
Cautious CJ Stander keeps Ireland’s Six Nations champagne on ice
CJ Stander could be forgiven for mislaying the plot on Ireland’s history with the grand slam. In his excitement over being on the verge of the championship’s top prize he reckoned this kind of opportunity comes along once every 40 years. In 2009, when Ireland won their last – and second – clean sweep Stander…