Unrecognisable Bleus still the recognised favouritesOnly caveat is their less favoured draw could see Sainte-Andre’s men once falling short at TwickenhamFri Feb 01 2013 - 00:00
Golden regeneration could help kickstart revivalBrian O’Driscoll may have controversially lost the captaincy but the autumn campaign showed signs of revival and with some fresh…Fri Feb 01 2013 - 00:00
Optimism abounds as oldest rugby tournament kicks offLike the Heineken Cup, the imperfections of the Six Nations can also be its beautyFri Feb 01 2013 - 00:00
Everything points to poor Wales season - so look outMen from the valleys in a bit of a slump right now but a winning start against Ireland could snap them out of itFri Feb 01 2013 - 00:00
O'Mahony primed for daunting Wales fixtureSIX NATIONS: If Peter O’Mahony still has the slightly awestruck air of someone who sometimes needs to be pinched to wake up …Thu Jan 31 2013 - 00:00
Saracens' switch to Twickenham a lift for Ulster fansHEINEKEN CUP: The decision by Saracens, confirmed yesterday and in conjunction with tournament organisers ERC, to move their…Thu Jan 31 2013 - 00:00
Many happy returns for KidneyRefreshed by the way a remodelled side finished off an injury-riddled autumnal campaign, Ireland have been further buoyed by …Wed Jan 30 2013 - 00:00
Positive vibes from an excited captainIf there’s one characteristic you know Jamie Heaslip will continue to bring to the job of captaining his country it’s positive…Wed Jan 30 2013 - 00:00
Opener against Wales will define Ireland's championshipGet ready for the Six Nations buzzword around this time of the year – momentumTue Jan 29 2013 - 00:00
Sexton deal looks done and dusted despite owner Lorenzetti's denialsRUGBY: Indications that Jonathan Sexton would be playing his club rugby with Racing Metro from next August have strengthened…Mon Jan 28 2013 - 00:00
Racing concessions secure Sexton's signatureRugby: Additional guarantees regarding his release for international duty have reputedly enabled Jonathan Sexton to complete…Sat Jan 26 2013 - 00:00
Racing sources leave Sexton's future shrouded in mysteryRUGBY: Jonny Sexton’s whereabouts next season remained shrouded in some mystery last night after sources very close to the Racing…Sat Jan 26 2013 - 00:00
Irish scrum suffers again as England play to their strengthsIrish Wolfhounds 10 English Saxons 14: Defeats at A level are not the end of the world but any defeat to the auld enemy hurts…Sat Jan 26 2013 - 00:00
Conway closes in on move from Leinster to MunsterAndrew Conway, a standout performer for the Irish Under-20s when scoring five tries in both the 2010 and 2011 Junior World Cups…Fri Jan 25 2013 - 00:00
Wolfhounds sniffing for Saxons and successionRUGBY: As with anything that becomes increasingly scarce, A international games have increased in valueFri Jan 25 2013 - 00:00
Ross agrees deal with Leinster as Sexton deadlock continuesAlthough there is still no sign of an end to the impasse in the negotiations between the IRFU and Jonathan Sexton’s agents, Leinster…Thu Jan 24 2013 - 00:00
Harlequins not for bending as tie to remain at the StoopAs expected, Harlequins have intimated that they wish to keep their Heineken Cup quarter-final against Munster at the StoopTue Jan 22 2013 - 00:00
Leinster need new generation to start coming through ranksON RUGBY: As one suspected, they went out all guns blazing, but out they went all the sameTue Jan 22 2013 - 00:00
Munster live to stand up and fight another day as all roads lead to LondonRUGBY: London callingMon Jan 21 2013 - 00:00
Coughlan ready to start something specialFor the current occupants of the famous red jersey, which is more synonymous with great deeds of escapism and heroism than perhaps…Mon Jan 21 2013 - 00:00
Zebo strikes thrice as Munster successfully enter bonus territoryMunster 29 Racing Metro 6: Never in doubt, as Rob Penney noted dryly afterwardsMon Jan 21 2013 - 00:00
A sporting licence to print moneyThe IRFU budget for having one quarter-finalist in the Heineken Cup per season, which means that Ulster’s participation in the…Sat Jan 19 2013 - 00:00
Two days of destiny to decide fate of the IrishRUGBY: So many matches and permutations distilled into one weekend; indeed seasons distilled into 80 minutes, albeit in many…Sat Jan 19 2013 - 00:00
Two days of destiny to decide fate of the IrishRUGBY: So many matches and permutations distilled into one weekend; indeed seasons distilled into 80 minutes, albeit in many…Sat Jan 19 2013 - 00:00
Red Army drinking at the last-chance saloon once againOnce more into the breach and all thatSat Jan 19 2013 - 00:00
Kidney retains Heaslip as Ireland captainThis was always going to be a tricky one for Declan Kidney and the Irish management ticketFri Jan 18 2013 - 00:00
Coach says captain call was less about demoting one than elevating the otherAs much as Brian O’Driscoll’s demotion from the Ireland captaincy after more than a decade in the role is momentous, yesterday…Fri Jan 18 2013 - 00:00
Munster will have to do it without O'Gara as ERC issue one-match banRUGBY: For the first time in 14 seasons and 105 games, dating back to the quarter-finals in 1999, Munster must go into their…Fri Jan 18 2013 - 00:00
Anscombe acknowledges need for a French lessonRUGBY: Heineken Cup Ulster have never won on French soil in 14 previous attempts in the Heineken Cup, though they did manage…Wed Jan 16 2013 - 00:00
Chiefs have no reservations about defending their turfHEINEKEN CUP: In order to progress to the knock-out stages for the eight time in nine years, Leinster will almost certainly …Wed Jan 16 2013 - 00:00
Munster face an anxious wait as O'Gara cited for kicking Edinburgh secondrow Cox during Murrayfield winRonan O’Gara was last night cited for kicking Edinburgh lock Sean Cox during the second half of Munster’s win in Murrayfield …Tue Jan 15 2013 - 00:00
O'Sullivan may need to look abroad to revive careerON RUGBY: A minute from the end of the Ulster-Castres game in the Heineken Cup at Ravenhill last October, the French team suddenly…Tue Jan 15 2013 - 00:00
Racing Metro make Sexton an offer he'll find very difficult to refuseThe possibility of Leinster and Ireland losing Jonathan Sexton, arguably the game’s most prized asset in this country, to Racing…Tue Jan 15 2013 - 00:00
Munster and Leinster set for showdown as both still playing catch-up with game to goHEINEKEN CUP: There is still the outside possibility that both Munster and Leinster could join Ulster in the quarter-finals …Mon Jan 14 2013 - 00:00
Victory secured but Munster left to rue bonus chance that got awayPool One: Edinburgh 17 Munster 26 Munster came away from a predictably hollow Murrayfield, which was one-tenth full, with a …Mon Jan 14 2013 - 00:00
Bottom line for Howlett is Munster are still aliveFailure to get over in five-minute window before half-time did cost them bonusMon Jan 14 2013 - 00:00
Clermont through: Five tries secures spotClermont Auvergne ran in five tries to secure their place in the knockout stages with a bonus-point victory over ExeterMon Jan 14 2013 - 00:00
Ulster first team into last eight but not home yetUlster 23 Glasgow 6: An unrelenting downpour may have been something of a leveller but it didn’t damped Ravenhill’s spirits …Sat Jan 12 2013 - 00:00
O'Donnell takes another giant step in a burgeoning careerThe most surprising thing about Tommy O’Donnell is he’s all of 25 already and in his fourth season as a professionalSat Jan 12 2013 - 00:00
Struggling Munster should still have too much in hand for poor EdinburghSuch is their capacity for walking tightropes in the competition they helped make as much as anyone, Munster have been dangling…Sat Jan 12 2013 - 00:00
Lam recognises that underdog thing - and he knows how to use itPat Lam is fully aware of the task facing him as the next head coach at Connacht, but far from finding the role of underdog daunting…Sat Jan 12 2013 - 00:00
Ulster must put down Warriors’ uprising to make the knockout stages once againHEINEKEN CUP Pool Four: Ulster v Glasgow Warriors Ulster’s defeat at home to Northampton before Christmas hasn’t hugely undermined…Fri Jan 11 2013 - 00:00
O'Callaghan believes it's time players stood up for Penney and Munster supportersPool One Edinburgh v Munster : As one of one of the more experienced heavy-hitters returning to the Munster mix this week, Donncha…Fri Jan 11 2013 - 00:00
Ulster continue to roar as the beast in Court finally comes to surfaceHeineken Cup: It’s taken a while, but the beast in Tom Court has finally come to the surfaceFri Jan 11 2013 - 00:00
Not a pretty picture for Penney as Sherry and Murray struggleMike Sherry and Conor Murray were unable to train with Munster yesterday and remain doubts for their must-win trek to Edinburgh…Thu Jan 10 2013 - 00:00
O'Connell sets sights on a return to action in AprilPaul O’Connell has confidently outlined a timeframe for recovery from his latest back operation as some time in April when, he…Thu Jan 10 2013 - 00:00
Anscombe hopes injuries won't hobble UlsterRUGBY: Atop pool four and the best placed of the Irish sides, Ulster have nonetheless been hit by an untimely spate of injuries…Wed Jan 09 2013 - 00:00
Precariously placed Leinster and Munster need some tricky permutationsThe Heineken Cup resumes with the final two rounds of pool games, and the typically complicated array of permutations, which …Wed Jan 09 2013 - 00:00
Savour these pool finale dramas - they might be nearly the lastIt’s back and, as ever, not a moment too lateTue Jan 08 2013 - 00:00
Munster left a little bloodied by defeat as Leinster look in rude healthRUGBY: A week is a long time in sport, as the week just passed ably highlighted, and Munster and their supporters will be fervently…Mon Jan 07 2013 - 00:00
