Tag: Leinster Rugby
-
Byrne keeps it in the genes as old menu tastes best for Leinster
LEINSTER… 25 LA ROCHELLE… 24 For the Byrne brothers, it must have felt two vessels passing in the night. Ross, who departed the home paddock looking for greener pastures but found himself outside the grazing platform on the day in question. Meanwhile, brother Harry was summoned from the bench after both Ciaran Frawley and his…
-
Frayne strain a pain as Royals get ready to rumble
Regardless of the sport, once it’s a team pursuit, the loss of one significant component thereof can have catastrophic consequences for the ambitions and prospects thereof. Whether that be Willie Mullins seeing the services of State Man defenestrated for the season, just as Sir Gino – ironically also in the ownership of Joe and Marie…
-
Sideline Cuts – 44
McCloskey In From The Cold The major talking point from the Irish rugby team announced to take on the All Blacks in Chicago on Saturday night has been the inclusion of Stuart McCloskey to partner Garry Ringrose in the centre. It will be the 33-year-old’s first start in green since 2023. Other notable occurrences include…
-
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,…
-
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…
-
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…
-
Rowntree’s shock departure leaves a sour taste
A deceased Irish rugby legend once said to yours truly in a tent at the Punchestown Festival “Rugby, my friend, is a game for thugs played by gentlemen, whereas soccer is a game for gentlemen played by roughens”. Whether you agree with the actual nuts and bolts of his views or not is immaterial. At…
-
Casualties likely to be Cullen’s main concern
Leinster… 43 Stade Francais… 7 Just how far does Leinster’s strength in depth actually run? Is a question I’m sure many of their adversaries have long pondered. Well, unfortunately for Leo Cullen et al, they might be getting a bit closer to finding out. Certainly at fly half anyway. Obviously, the retirement of Johnny Sexton…
-
Plenty of problems but a shortage of solutions
Sport never loses its ability to amaze. No matter how much of it you look at. In fact, maybe the more of it you observe, the more confusing it becomes. How else to explain Manchester United holding Liverpool to a draw? At a time when the form of the two sides was about as polarised…
-
Error-prone holders pay the price
LEINSTER… 21 MUNSTER… 16 It wouldn’t be a meeting of the two old foes if it wasn’t an epic. Score for score, massive hits given and taken on both sides. The pendulum swinging one way and then the other. As is often the case in these situations, it came down to who managed error limitation…