Tag: Connacht Rugby
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The West’s Awake but there’s strife in the deep south
“When all beside a vigil keep, the west’s asleep, the west’s asleep/but hark me boys, like thunder spake, the west’s awake, the west’s awake”. It’s not all that long ago the the brain-less trust were advocating the abolishment of of Connacht altogether. As a rugby team, not literally. With the idea being that players deemed…
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Looking for problems where there are none
IRELAND… 32 SCOTLAND… 18 It’s probably the case with all team sports that all teams have two or three perspective candidates for each spot on the team. In Ireland’s case, that has absolutely been the reality for as long as I can recall at fly half. From Tony Ward to Ollie Campbell, to Ralph Keyes,…
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Calculated gamble or demonstration of riches?
I made my confirmation in April 1994. On the same night, Dermot Morgan was finishing a run of shows at the Olympia Theatre. The old VHS tape thereof remains one of the best pieces of comedy the senses here have ever encountered. There are so many comedic gems therein it’s hard to nail down a…
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Few surprises as the Easterby era kicks off
Well, it doesn’t actually kick off for a couple of weeks yet, but you get my drift. Simon Easterby has officially taken charge of the Irish men’s senior team with Andy Farrell having jumped ship – temporarily at least – to scout for talent for the British And Irish Lions team he will take on…
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Twelve tries but still room for Paulie to give them a bollicking
IRELAND…82 ROMANIA…8 You’d hope Kevin The Carrot isn’t booked in for a session too early in the morning. Ireland’s favourite animated advertiser wouldn’t deserve to incur the wrath of an angry O’Connell. No living being would. You might wonder what Paul O’Connell might have to be put out by having seen those prepared by Andy…
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Grand designs not the finished article yet
Ireland… 34 Italy… 20 In assignments like Saturday’s at the Stadio Olympico in Rome, teams like Ireland are on a hiding to nothing. Win by a big score and you’re only doing what you’re supposed and expected to do. Don’t, and there’s obviously something fairly drastically wrong. On this occasion, Ireland probably fell between the…
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Furlong pulls up as preparations enter the home straight
Tadhg Furlong has been ruled out of Ireland’s Six Nations Championship opener against Wales on Saturday at the 11th hour due to an ongoing calf muscle injury. The Wexford colossus hasn’t played since December, but was considered to be on track for a return before this latest setback. Connacht’s Finlay Bealham will replace his Leinster…
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Impressive variety but staple diet needs freshening up
Ireland…19 South Africa…16 How much store do you place on the Autumn Internationals? A passive observer would probably deem them no more than puffed up friendlies. The aficionado, though, sees them as the laying foundations and building something as the nuts and bolts of the day job kicks off for International players. My own view…
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Selections for Leopardstown – July 21st 2022
5.30: SEMANTICS (COLIN KEANE/GER LYONS) 6.00: NEVER ENDING STORY (RYAN MOORE/AIDAN O’BRIEN) 6.30: PROUD AND REGAL (GAVIN RYAN/DONNACHA O’BRIEN) 7.00: FLEETFOOT (KEVIN MANNING/JIM BOLGER) 7.30: MIGHT AND MERCY (DYLAN B. MCMONAGLE/NOEL MEADE) 8.00: POINT KING (SHANE CROSSE/JOSEPH O’BRIEN) 8.30: MOVIE KING – EW – (ROBBIE COLGAN/TONY MARTIN)
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Ireland crumble in Fortress Eden
Ireland… 19 New Zealand… 42 You might think that scoring three tries against the All Blacks – especially at Eden Park – represented a commendable day’s work. Don’t be fooled… This was a classic case of ‘come into my web, said the spider to the fly’, before the resident takes a choke hold of the…