THIS WEEK MUST have been circled in Jean Kleyn’s diary for quite some time. Munster’s South African-born second row has never kept his desire to represent Ireland a secret, and on the day he officially qualified to pull on a green jersey, Kleyn was catapulted firmly into Joe Schmidt’s World Cup plans. Kleyn is ready…
FRESH OFF SUNDAY’S Olympic qualifying tournament, Ireland sevens international Greg O’Shea will spend the summer looking for his type on paper, as he joins Love Island. The 24-year-old Limerick native, who briefly appeared at the end of last night’s episode, will enter the villa as one of three new contestants on ITV’s hit reality TV…
Click:diode logic gates YOU COULD FORGIVE Tommy O’Donnell for shuddering at the memory of the World Cup warm-up games – or single game in his case – four years ago. In the mix for a place in Joe Schmidt’s final 31-man squad for the 2015 tournament, the Cahir flanker was cruelly cut down by a…
JACK CONAN IS taken aback when it’s put to him that his Ireland debut came almost four years ago to the day, as he started the 2015 World Cup warm-up win over Scotland at the Aviva Stadium. He was part of Joe Schmidt’s pre-season plans that summer, but ultimately had to watch the tournament from…
NEW ZEALAND INTERNATIONAL Charlie Faumuina will join Toulouse for the 2017-18 Top 14 season. Faumuina has made 46 Test appearances for the All Blacks and was part of the squad that successfully defended the Rugby World Cup in 2015. The prop will leave Super Rugby side Blues to join Toulouse ahead of next season. Faumuina said…
After a match between Asuka and Mandy Rose was announced for WWE Fastlane last night, fans on Twitter noticed that the graphic for the match was botched. In this case an extra arm (which appears to be that of Lio Rush) appears on the right of Rose. There also appears to be another photoshop error…
Home Leinster head coach Leo Cullen is smiling with Johnny Sexton back available for selection. Source: Tommy Dickson/INPHO Leinster and Ireland fly-half Johnny Sexton will make his return from injury tomorrow night when the 31-year-old captains his province in a Pro12 clash against Zebre at the RDS.Paddy Barnes‘s second professional fight will be at Belfast’s…
CONNACHT’S INJURY CRISIS has been eased somewhat by the addition of a trio of new faces to Pat Lam’s squad. The western province, who will aim to avoid a fourth consecutive defeat when they host Zebre in the Champions Cup on Saturday, have been hampered substantially by injury problems in recent weeks. Reinforcements have subsequently…
Updated 12.30pm ULSTER HAVE CONFIRMED the signings of Springboks-capped back row Arno Botha and Connacht scrum-half John Cooney. 25-year-old Botha will join the northern province from the Blue Bulls, arriving after the conclusion of Super Rugby in August on a two-year contract. Cooney, meanwhile, joins from Connacht in June on a two-year deal. Cooney joins…
THERE’S A FEEL-GOOD factor around the corridors of Leinster HQ again, and you can’t help but notice it; the province are back, back in the last eight of Europe and playing rugby with a real swagger again. It’s probably stretching it to say Leo Cullen’s side have exceeded expectations in the Champions Cup this season…