THE FINAL HOME match of the regular season, a place in the Pro14 play-offs at stake, Champions Cup qualification on the line, and a sold-out Sportsground – games don’t come much bigger than this for Andy Friend’s Connacht. After a hugely progressive and encouraging first season under the Australian head coach, the province must take…
IN THE END, it was defeat for Munster on a 16-point margin. Exactly the same scoreboard gap as when the southern province lost to Saracens at the semi-final stages of the Heineken Champions Cup two years ago. Saturday’s defeat in Coventry even unfolded in a similar manner to the loss in Dublin in 2017, with…
AS WELL AS proud, Jack Carty’s parents must have been extremely relieved after watching their son come on for his Ireland debut against Italy during the Six Nations earlier this year. The Connacht out-half came off the bench in Rome to make the breakthrough at international level, having forced his way into Joe Schmidt’s plans…
THE BIG DAY is upon us. The 24th Heineken Champions Cup final is down for decision and the best two teams in Europe will tear lumps off one another for the right to lift the trophy. From 5pm Saturday evening we’ll see whether England can claim a ninth European title via a third for Saracens.…
CIAN HEALY HAS today signed a new two-year central contract with the IRFU to remain at Leinster until the end of the 2020/21 season. The loosehead prop, capped 88 times for Ireland, has enjoyed an excellent 18 months at international and club level having overcome injury frustrations, some of which had threatened to prematurely end…
Liverpool come home to a hero’s welcome after winning the Champions League Source: Barrington Coombs Plenty of colour at the Women’s Mini Marathon Source: Tommy Dickson/INPHO Seamus Callanan rattles the Clare net in their Munster SHC clash with Clare Source: James Crombie/INPHO Katie Taylor lands a great punch in her victory over Delfine Persoon Click Here:…
SAMOAN INTERNATIONAL SCRUM-HALF Kahn Fotuali’i has quit Bath to join Top 14 club Montpellier on a one-year deal, replacing South African Ruan Pienaar. Fotuali’i, 37, has played in Europe since 2011, first with Welsh region Ospreys before moving to Northampton in 2013 and then Bath in 2016. Click Here: Olympique Lyonnais soccer tracksuit The 31-time…
ALL BLACKS STAR Beauden Barrett has agreed to leave the Hurricanes for the Blues in a blockbuster move after signing a new deal with New Zealand Rugby (NZR). Barrett – a two-time World Rugby Player of the Year has – penned a four-year contract to keep him in New Zealand through to the end of…
FORMER CONNACHT PROP Conán O’Donnell will play for Counties Manukau in New Zealand’s upcoming Mitre 10 Cup, potentially lining out alongside All Blacks centre Sonny Bill Williams. O’Donnell featured for the Sunwolves of Japan in the closing rounds of this year’s Super Rugby season, having been released by Connacht at the end of their 2019/20…
OFF-BROADWAY AND away from the usual levels of attention, Leinster’s pre-season preparations have rolled on from week-to-week largely unnoticed this summer, but Saturday will present the first opportunity for Leo Cullen to accurately assess the health of his squad. With as many as 17 players part of Ireland’s World Cup training squad, Cullen and Stuart…