THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE has a reputation as home of the best attacking rugby in the world, and 2014 saw that backed up once again. Here, we pick out some of our very favourites from the year south of the equator, but feel free to let us know if we missed any beauties. ******************** South Africa…
2014 WAS AN exceptional year for Joe Schmidt’s Ireland, but how much better could 2015 be if certain players return from injury and others remain fully fit? A clean sweep of the November Tests and a first Six Nations title since 2009; it doesn’t get much better than that. But this is a World Cup…
ULSTER RUGBY TODAY confirmed that Luke Marshall has suffered his fifth concussion since March 2013, picking up the latest in training last week. The 23-year old suffered two concussions on Ireland duty in 2013 and sat out their summer tour after taking another blow in Ulster’s Heineken Cup quarter-final defeat to Saracens that same year. The…
IT’S ALMOST A decade since Wasps saved Eoin Reddan from hanging his boots up at the age of 24. After a spell with Connacht, the scrum-half had played for home province Munster under Alan Gaffney from 2003 into 2005. But having been informed his contract would not be renewed, Reddan found himself lacking offers from…
THE BEARD IS gone, the boy is back. Not that anybody leaving Kingspan Stadium on Saturday night could have referred to 22-year-old Iain Henderson as a boy. Indeed, some Leicester Tigers might have been forgiven for wondering if he was even human. Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO Where has he been? Well, he had to wait six…
JAKE HEENAN WILL continue to build his match fitness up by captaining the Connacht Eagles when they take on the Ulster Ravens at the Sportsground tomorrow (KO 16.00). Heenan has not played for the westerners’ senior side since undergoing a second shoulder surgery in the space of a year last September. Jake Heenan, John Muldoon…
23 YEAR-OLD LEINSTER centre Brendan Macken has signed for Gloucester on loan until the end of the season. Having come through the province’s academy, the former Blackrock College man has racked up 46 appearances since his debut against Glasgow Warriors back in the 2009/2010 campaign while he’s also represented Ireland at U20 level. But, having…
THE CHIEFS SUFFERED their first defeat of the 2015 Super Rugby season as a two Marty Banks penalties in the last four minutes secured a 20-17 win for the Highlanders in Hamilton. There was much unhappiness from Chiefs supporters and players in the endgame as two disputed late penalty decisions allowed ‘Landers replacement out-half Banks to kick…
IRELAND U20 NEED a win in Wales tonight to keep their hopes of a Six Nations championship alive but it is looking very unlikely at half time as the home side lead 16-6. Click Here: baby knitted accessories Nigel Carolan’s side only trailed by three in the final minute of the half but this sublime…
JAMIE HEASLIP SAYS there isn’t “anything wrong” with the Irish lineout and is keen to focus on the positives ahead of the team’s crucial upcoming Six Nations clash with Scotland. The lineout lost a number of their own throw-ins during the team’s most recent match with Wales, but Heaslip has suggested Ireland are as strong…