NIGEL CAROLAN’S IRISH U20 players struck a telling blow before the start of Saturday’s clash with New Zealand with a unique approach to the haka which could now be copied by other teams. Teams have tried various means over the years to deal with the haka. In 1989 Willie Anderson and his Irish colleagues linked arms and shuffled […]

Rory Keane reports from Port Elizabeth IT REALLY DOESN’T get any tougher than this. A third consecutive Test against the Springboks in their own backyard after a 52-week season and now without the services of Robbie Henshaw and Jared Payne. Who’d be an international rugby coach? Schmidt with his starting backline for tomorrow. Source: Billy […]

ENGLAND AND WASPS back row James Haskell took to his Instagram and Twitter pages today to report that an operation on his toe has proven successful. It was announced earlier this month that Haskell – on the back of a ridiculously good six months that saw him win a Grand Slam and help England to […]

OlympicsPat Hickey, president of the Olympic Council of Ireland and European Olympic Committee was arrested in Brazil this morning over ticket touting allegations.The 71-year-old was admitted to hospital as a precaution shortly after his arrest and has also stood down from the Olympic council. Pat Hickey’s passport and accreditation at today’s police press conference in […]

ON 25 FEBRUARY 2011, a lively Ian McKinley ran, dummied and kicked his way to the man-of-the-match award in the blue of Leinster. Their opponents in that 30-5 victory in which McKinley scored a try, his only one for Leinster? Benetton Treviso. Rave reviews followed but McKinley knew that he was operating on borrowed time. […]

TIGHTHEAD PROP RODNEY Ah You hopes his interprovincial transfer from Connacht to Ulster will help bolster his international aspirations. The 27-year-old, who signed for Connacht from Canterbury in his native New Zealand in 2010, qualified to represent Ireland on the residency rule three years ago. “Earning the number three shirt week-in, week-out for Ulster is the aim […]

JARED PAYNE WILL make his first appearance of the season for Ulster on Friday night as the province look to extend their unbeaten Pro12 run to four games away to the Glasgow Warriors. In total, Les Kiss makes nine personnel and positional switches from the side that defeated the Scarlets 19-8 at Kingspan Stadium last […]

PETER O’MAHONY’S LAST-gasp turnover penalty against Glasgow Warriors back in October was always likely to be important and it might yet prove to be the difference between the teams in their race to top Conference A of the Guinness Pro14. Of course, it was Rory Scannell’s remarkable long-range kick at goal that earned Munster a […]

Click:hype culture BERNARD FOLEY SAID today that the NSW Waratahs have enough depth to cope without Israel Folau, hitting out at his long-time team-mate for disrupting their season. The deeply religious star fullback is fighting to save his career over anti-gay social media posts last week, with an upcoming code of conduct tribunal to determine […]

USA WOMEN FACED the Barbarians for the first time ever on Friday in Glendale, with three former Ireland internationals involved for the BaaBaas in Gillian Bourke, Alison Miller and Paula Fitzpatrick. The US can now look forward to four Tests in June and July against the four top-ranked teams in the world – New Zealand, […]