Not cocky, just confidentIreland may not beat England tomorrow, but they know they've every right to be on the same pitch, will last every minute and …Fri Mar 05 1999 - 00:00
Bell out of Ireland teamJonathan Bell was yesterday withdrawn from the Ireland team to play England after failing a fitness test on a thigh injury sustained…Thu Mar 04 1999 - 00:00
Costello - faster, higher, strongerAsk Victor Costello how being an Irish Olympian and an Irish rugby player compare and he says: "They don't compareThu Mar 04 1999 - 00:00
Injured Bell is doubtful starterJonathan Bell has emerged as a doubtful starter for this Saturday's Five Nations rendezvous with England at Lansdowne RoadWed Mar 03 1999 - 00:00
New league format likely to be scrappedThe IRFU Committee will almost certainly scrap their proposals for a restructured All-Ireland League when they next convene on…Wed Mar 03 1999 - 00:00
Irish selectors faced with pleasant dilemmaOver the next 48 hours the Irish and English think tanks will reveal their hands for next Saturday's Lansdowne Road showdownTue Mar 02 1999 - 00:00
McGuinness and Bishop fit for training sessionJustin Bishop and Conor McGuinness, who picked up minor injuries in their club matches over the weekend, are expected to take…Tue Mar 02 1999 - 00:00
Major setback for IRFU's blueprintThe IRFU's proposals for a restructuring of the AIB League received a potentially fatal setback last night when representatives…Tue Mar 02 1999 - 00:00
Bishop is Ireland's one doubtJustin Bishop emerged as the only injury concern for the Irish management last night after the weekend's club activities culminated…Mon Mar 01 1999 - 00:00
Testing times for contendersHAS their bubble burst? The question might just as easily be applied to both Shannon and Ballymena (widely perceived as probable…Sat Feb 27 1999 - 00:00
Best facing up to split loyaltiesIN TRUTH, it was probably no great surprise to Dick Best that his London Irish upstarts had their Premiership title prospects…Sat Feb 27 1999 - 00:00
Roscrea plan tourPrior to yesterday's match at Donnybrook, Cistercian College Roscrea unveiled ambitious plans for an 18-day tour of South Africa…Wed Feb 24 1999 - 00:00
Lansdowne laid lowAIB League leaders Lansdowne are the hardest hit by injuries incurred in representative games over the weekend leaving them with…Wed Feb 24 1999 - 00:00
Roscrea forced to get down and dirtyThough they had to get down and dirty in the Donnybrook mud more than they might have expected at one point yesterday, Roscrea…Wed Feb 24 1999 - 00:00
Many get off scot free under lax lawsPeter Clohessy was in a contemplative mood on Saturday at teatime, giving Warren Gatland the quote of the weekend - "I took a…Tue Feb 23 1999 - 00:00
Ireland cross the threshold at lastIn the post-match dressingroom at Wembley, Paddy Johns said that the Irish public would get as much of a buzz out of this win…Mon Feb 22 1999 - 00:00
Woodie Wonder is the happiest hookerThere's no danger of taking Keith Wood for granted, is there? Rob Henderson won the man-of-the-match award last time out, and…Mon Feb 22 1999 - 00:00
Pack's power provides keyIreland can win this match, no doubt about it. And they know it. Therein lies the rubSat Feb 20 1999 - 00:00
Place-kicking set to be sharedBeen there, done that, bought the t-shirt, and so now they've decided to skip it todayFri Feb 19 1999 - 00:00
Woods in from wildernessFate? Only time will tell whether it was ordained, but, in an ironic twist to the original selection of the Irish team to play…Thu Feb 18 1999 - 00:00
Wales put pack to workThe battle lines for next Saturday's Wembley rendezvous between Wales and Ireland were being drawn in the sand yesterdayTue Feb 16 1999 - 00:00
Balance of power shiftingThat this is the most competitive AIL first division so far was confirmed on SaturdayMon Feb 15 1999 - 00:00
Irish players avoid injuryNo news constituted good news last night as far as the Irish management was concernedMon Feb 15 1999 - 00:00
Shannon have lost the hungerThe end of an era? While St Mary's season continues onward and upward, Shannon's plumbed new depths at Templeville Road on Saturday…Mon Feb 15 1999 - 00:00
Selectors keep faith with tried and testedSquad or team announcements in the Warren Gatland era, unlike previous ones, are not designed for shock effect and the latest…Thu Feb 11 1999 - 00:00
It's the Welsh who seem in troubleThe little Englander mentality which thinks that the red rose is too grand by far for the Five Nations was briefly granted its…Tue Feb 09 1999 - 00:00
Costello to miss Welsh matchVictor Costello will almost certainly be ruled out of the Five Nations championship game against Wales at Wembley on Saturday…Mon Feb 08 1999 - 00:00
Angry rugby manager denies drug test claim on playerThe Irish rugby team manager has reacted angrily to telephone calls from a British Sunday newspaper the night before Saturday…Mon Feb 08 1999 - 00:00
Gallant Irish refuse to buckleNo one died, as Boris Becker once observed when putting sporting defeat into proper perspectiveMon Feb 08 1999 - 00:00
Landsdowne Verdict`It underlined to me how seven days is a long time in sport, from 4Mon Feb 08 1999 - 00:00
Opportunity knocksHere we go again. Another Five Nations Championship, and hope springs eternal once moreSat Feb 06 1999 - 00:00
French felled as fiery Woods shows the wayThe curtain-raiser certainly commanded a good performance from the Irish A team at Donnybrook last eveningSat Feb 06 1999 - 00:00
Lenihan only too aware of France's capabilitiesAs what seems like the 12th new dawn in 12 years nears for Irish rugby, Donal Lenihan yesterday sought to play down increasing…Fri Feb 05 1999 - 00:00
Stakes high for A teamAs ever, international weekend wouldn't be the same without the customary appetisers, and the tastiest aperitif to tomorrow's…Fri Feb 05 1999 - 00:00
Humphreys at number 10At around 3.0 p.m. in Dr Hickey Park yesterday, some 30 minutes into the Irish squad session, David Humphreys lined up among …Wed Feb 03 1999 - 00:00
Ward likely to miss French gameRight on cue for the arrival of February, spring was in the air for the start of Ireland's pre-match preparations yesterday in…Tue Feb 02 1999 - 00:00
Out-half issue no longer cut and driedPrior to the start of yesterday's press conference in the Glenview Hotel, Warren Gatland wrote on the noticeboard: "who is at…Tue Feb 02 1999 - 00:00
Sweet dreams are made of thisAs an addendum, nay an afterthought, the Ulster players each received £2,000 for reaching the final of the European Cup, as well…Mon Feb 01 1999 - 00:00
Ulster complete European odysseyGreat occasion and great result. Not a great match but then, who cares? Certainly Ulster and Ireland didn'tMon Feb 01 1999 - 00:00
Ulster set for their finest hourThe moment of truth. Ulster await their finest hour, and the possibility of sporting immortality to list among the pantheon occupied…Sat Jan 30 1999 - 00:00
Selectors opt for settled squadThe Irish management's first squad for the Five Nations Championship scarcely warrants a quizical glanceThu Jan 28 1999 - 00:00
Ulster trying to shake off tag of favouritesThe countdown to Saturday's eagerly anticipated European Cup final at Lansdowne Road gathered momentum yesterday, albeit with…Thu Jan 28 1999 - 00:00
Debunking the myth of schools' rugbyWay, way back in time - when John Major was still a trapeze artist, Charlie Haughey a political artist and Ireland were still…Tue Jan 26 1999 - 00:00
Surprises unlikely in Irish squad to faceThe Irish management will gather this afternoon to select both the 22man senior squad for the Five Nations' opener against France…Tue Jan 26 1999 - 00:00
Solid Buccaneers are contendersOn a day which shook up the established order in the AIB League first division, this result could have a very significant bearing…Mon Jan 25 1999 - 00:00
