BAKKIES BOTHA IS a rare breed in rugby. The enforcer dishes out a fair bit of punishment from Toulon’s second row but he has also shown a remarkable pain threshold over the years. Earlier in the season he got a punch to the nose but he seem to revel in the physicality. Today, he broke…
One of Leinster’s possible quarter-final opponents looked very dangerous in destroying Toulouse
WITH ONLY ONE week of Champions Cup pool action left, we can now forecast the possible quarter-final matches without it being complete guesswork. Given the amount of tries they’ve scored thus far, if Leinster beat Wasps they will almost certainly be seeded number four. That would mean they would host Toulouse, Bath or Glasgow but…
Connacht have handed new contracts to three of their best back rows
CONNACHT HAVE ANNOUNCED contract extensions for back row trio Eoin McKeon, George Naoupu and Eoghan Masterson. Eoin McKeon has signed on until the summer of 2017. Source: James Crombie/INPHO McKeon and Masterson have signed new two-year deals to keep them in Galway until at least 2017, while Kiwi Naoupu has been tied down until the…
Schmidt with tight selection calls to make ahead of Six Nations opener
JOE SCHMIDT AND his Ireland coaching team found a secluded spot in Carton House last night and sat down for some intense discussions. This was no bullet-point review of the day’s training, rather an extended debate around their selection options for Saturday’s Six Nations clash with Italy. Schmidt will have the final say of course,…
Tickets to Ireland’s Lansdowne Road showdown with England? We’ve got a pair to give away
THIS SUNDAY AFTERNOON you could spend your time in a DIY store, washing the car or talking about insurance premiums with your father-in-law. Or, alternatively, you could sit in the West Stand for Ireland’s Six Nations clash with England. We’ve got two tickets to give away by tomorrow thanks to RapidQ, the new app that…
We’ll Leave It There So: Early start for England visit, South Africa confirm rival bid and the rest of today’s sport
Katie Taylor pictured at today’s ‘100 Days To Go’ event for the first ever European Games. Source: Dan Sheridan/INPHO HomeA 1pm kick-off time has been confirmed for the Republic of Ireland‘s friendly against England in Dublin on Sunday, 7 June.Katie Taylor made her prediction for the May meeting of Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.Ireland coach…
The most important question of all has been answered ahead of Wales v Ireland
THE QUESTION OF whether the Millennium Stadium roof is open or closed gets talked about a fair bit in the build-up to Welsh internationals and while the issue probably isn’t a deciding factor in the outcome of a game, the atmosphere is definitely better when it’s shut. Before Wales played England in round one of…
Pete Dunne surpasses the 600-day mark as WWE UK champion
WWE United Kingdom champion Pete Dunne surpassed the 600-day mark as a title holder, becoming the longest-reigning champion in WWE in modern-day history. As of today, January 11, Dunne has held on to the WWE United Kingdom title for 601 days with only Bob Backlund, Bruno Sammartino, Pedro Morales, and Hulk Hogan holding a title…
Ireland players ‘fearful’ as Schmidt ponders changes for Scotland trip
IRELAND HAVE REPORTED a clean bill of health after defeat to Wales at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday, but head coach Joe Schmidt will consider changes to his team before facing Scotland nonetheless. Ireland’s players might be ‘fearful’ of their places this week, admits Kearney. Source: Cathal Noonan/INPHO The physical toll of a bruising Six…
Magic scenes in Murrayfield as Ireland lift the Six Nations trophy again
Murray Kinsella reports from Murrayfield THERE WERE JUBILANT scenes in Murrayfield as Joe Schmidt’s Ireland lifted the Six Nations trophy for the second consecutive year. Paul O’Connell holds the Six Nations trophy aloft at Murrayfield. Source: Dan Sheridan/INPHO Captain Paul O’Connell and his teammates were presented with the trophy in front of around 10,000 Irish…