Murray Kinsella reports from Chicago THE SHEER LEVEL of control that Conor Murray and Johnny Sexton exert for Ireland means it’s often jarring when they’re not on the pitch. So it proved at Soldier Field on Saturday, particularly in the first half, as Luke McGrath and Joey Carbery struggled to get a firm handle on…
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Canada close in on final World Cup place after win over Germany
CANADA ARE ONE point away from a place at next year’s Rugby World Cup after beating Germany 29-10 in a round-robin repechage tournament on Saturday. Click Here: penrith panthers shirt A bonus-point defeat to Hong Kong in the final match of the tournament next weekend would be enough for the Canucks to claim a spot…
‘It was a stupid thing, a rush of blood to the head really. I was so riled up’
LOOK BACK ON Jamie Heaslip’s nine appearances against the All Blacks, and two moments stand out. One is the low point of his 95-cap international career, the other the ultimate high. He has mixed memories to say the least. The former Ireland number eight had already played New Zealand twice — at Wellington and Croke…
‘He said, ‘no, I’ll get my own gear… I’ll play international rugby myself”
WITH A NICKNAME like The Butcher, it’s little wonder that Dylan Fawsitt is a clear-thinking, no-nonsense and driven individual. The New York-based Wexford man will come off the bench for the USA in this evening’s closing November international (kick-off 18.30, RTE), taking on the country of his birth to round off a year in which…
Pocock pulled from England clash with neck injury after being named in starting line-up
AUSTRALIA BACK-ROW David Pocock has been ruled out of Saturday’s international against England, just over a day before the Cook Cup clash at Twickenham. Pocock was in at No. 8 when Wallaby head coach Michael Cheika named his side on Thursday even though the loose forward was struggling with a neck injury suffered during last…
‘Joe is the coach who has picked me over my career. I wouldn’t be here without him’
THERE HAVE BEEN some sceptics along the way, but Devin Toner’s enduring worth in the second row is evidenced in the trust placed in him by Joe Schmidt down through the years. Of Schmidt’s 61 games in charge of Ireland, Toner has been involved in 54 of those — 46 as starts — which is…
Munster and Connacht make changes to their European squads
MUNSTER HAVE ADDED prop Jeremy Loughman to their Heineken Champions Cup squad ahead of Sunday’s encounter against Castres, but Leinster have opted to stick with their initial 41-panel for round three. Johann van Graan has decided to register Loughman in place of James Cronin, who is currently sidelined with a leg injury, as one of…
Byrne and Conan come into Leinster side to face Bath
LEO CULLEN HAS named the Leinster team to face Bath in Round 4 of the Heineken Champions Cup tomorrow evening. Adam Byrne comes onto the wing with Jordan Larmour moving to full-back, while Rory O’Loughlin starts in the number 12 jersey alongside Garry Ringrose. There’s one change in the path as Jack Conan comes in…
‘It’s not football’ – O’Driscoll calls for ‘slide tackles’ to be stamped out of rugby
Andrew Conway touches down but the try wasn’t awarded. Source: James Crombie/INPHO MUNSTER SUFFERED A one-point defeat away to Castres in the Heineken European Champions Cup over the weekend. In the 69th minute, Andrew Conway missed out on a try after he was deemed to have knocked the ball on — but that was only…
Lowe to face disciplinary panel following red card in Leinster’s defeat to Munster
A DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE will meet in Neath this week to consider what action to take against Leinster’s James Lowe for his dismissal in the defeat to Munster. Lowe was sent off in the first half of Saturday’s Guinness Pro14 fixture at Thomond Park after upending Andrew Conway as the Munster player gathered a high clearance….