RESTED AND REINVIGORATED, one hopes, most of Ireland’s international players return to their provinces this week to begin pre-season training ahead of what promises to be an exciting and demanding campaign for the four Irish sides. Increasingly, the fear is that the English and French clubs will make their short-term acceleration away from the Irish…
Munster 17 Zebre 0 Murray Kinsella reports from the RSC RASSIE ERASMUS’ MUNSTER began pre-season with a three-try win over Zebre in testing weather conditions in Waterford. Source: Tommy Dickson/INPHO The superb Darren Sweetnam scored a try in either half, while fellow wing Ronan O’Mahony got on the end of a clever Ian Keatley grubber…
THE RUGBY FOOTBALL UNION (RFU) has announced further enhancements to the way concussion will be managed at professional club level in England. Part of the new initiative will give medical staff access to real-time pitch-side video on a trial basis through the “myplayXplay” system in a bid to boost the recognition of serious head injuries. In…
THE MILWAUKEE BUCKS went down 110-88 to the Atlanta Hawks in the fourth game of the Conference finals – but the loss of Giannis Antetokounmpo may give them more worry. Antetokounmpo hyperextended his knee in the third quarter and spent minutes on the court before being helped into the locker room. The Bucks were down…
EX-BATH COACH Mike Ford will take a prominent role in coaching French giants Toulon from next week, the Daily Mail reported today. The one-time Ireland defence coach had been linked with a vacancy on the Leinster coaching ticket last month. However, Toulon’s early-season struggles in Top14 have prompted owner Mourad Boudjellal to bring the Englishman…
MUNSTER BOSS JOHANN van Graan has included three academy players in his squad to face Benetton at Stadio Monigo in the Guinness Pro14 tomorrow [KO 7pm Irish time, eir Sport/Free Sports]. Cork Con man Shane Daly starts on the left wing and Gavin Coombes of Young Munster lines out at number eight, while Alex McHenry, also…
SARACENS NUMBER EIGHT Billy Vunipola says he did not intend ‘to hurt anyone’ when he publically backed Israel Folau’s anti-gay social media sentiments. The England international scored the match-sealing try as Saracens defeated Munster 32-16 in this afternoon’s Heineken Champions Cup semi-final and was then named official man of the match by BT Sport’s Austin…
LEINSTER WING FERGUS McFadden has been cited after an alleged head-butt on Ulster’s Sean Reidy during the first-half of Leinster’s 14-13 loss in the Kingspan Stadium on Saturday. Click Here: cheap all stars rugby jersey Despite a TMO review of the 13th-minute incident, referee George Clancy awarded just a penalty against Leinster while warning the…
FORMER WALLABIES COACH Alan Jones slammed the treatment of Israel Folau Wednesday, calling those punishing him over homophobic comments “sick” but adding that the star fullback had told him he was “at peace”. The devoutly Christian player on Tuesday was found guilty of a “high-level” breach of the sport’s code of conduct after posting an…
Ryan Bailey reports from the RDS THE SIGHT OF Devin Toner on a crutch with his left knee heavily strapped was the only downside to an otherwise good day for Leinster ahead of next Saturday’s Guinness Pro14 final. Toner was forced off shortly before half-time in this afternoon’s 24-9 victory over Munster after twisting awkwardly…