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Bundee Aki and James Ryan commit to Ireland by signing new deals

17 December 2024 0 comments

Bundee Aki and James Ryan have signed contract extensions with Ireland. Aki has agreed a new one-year deal that will keep him at Connacht until […]

Cian Prendergast takes reins

15 December 2024 0 comments

By Ben Jaycock PREVIEW… Perpignan v Connacht Today. Kick-off 1pm, Stade Aimé Giral Connacht captain Cian Prendergast returns to lead his side for the first […]

Saracens bounce back in fine style

8 December 2024 0 comments

By Brendan Gallagher Saracens……………………… 27pts Tries: Carre 22, George 48, Willis 56, Earl 64 Conversions: Burke 49, 57 Penalty: Burke 35 Bulls………………………………… 5pts Try: de […]

Connacht …… 43 Zebre …………… 12

8 December 2024 0 comments

■By JOHN FALLON IRISH sevens star Chay Mullins crowned his Connacht debut with a hat-trick. Academy players Sean Naughton and Fiachna Barrett also made their […]

Connacht are blown away by Bulls

1 December 2024 0 comments

By John Fallon Connacht………14 Bulls………………28 Connacht, down to 14 men for almost three-quarters of the game, were blown away by the Bulls. The Bulls also […]

Leinster make it seven wins in a row

1 December 2024 0 comments

By Jim Short Ulster…………….20 Leinster…………27 Leinster’s second string proved far too strong for Ulster to make it seven wins on the spin. “Squad depth is […]

Rowntree’s old charges fall short in a thriller

3 November 2024 0 comments

■By BEN JAYCOCK Munster ……….. 24pts Tries: Haley 35, Penalty 40, Hodnett 50, Farrell 60, Conversion: Butler 60 New Zealand …38pts Tries: Lam 23, Fihaki […]

Kelleher expects to be fit

3 November 2024 0 comments

IRELAND hooker Ronan Kelleher is on track to recover from injury in time to face New Zealand in Dublin on Friday night. Kelleher, 26, hurt […]

Scarlets – A good bet to make the URC playoffs?

30 October 2024 0 comments

By Peter Ryan – @PeterRyanSports Now that the first block of URC games is ending, the league table is beginning to take shape. It has […]

Connacht too strong for slack Dragons

27 October 2024 0 comments

By Luke Jarmyn Connacht ………. 31pts Tries: Boyle 6, Blade 19, Prendergast, 39 Forde 73, Devine 80 Conversions: Forde 7, 20, 74 Dragons …………… 7pts […]

Cardiff’s second-half fightback stuns Ulster

27 October 2024 0 comments

By Simon Thomas Cardiff …………… 21pts Tries: Stephens 49, Hughes 64, Young 68 Conversions: Sheedy 50, 65, 69 Ulster …………….. 19pts Tries: Izuchukwu 14, Postlethwaite […]

McElroy joins Sale

27 October 2024 0 comments

SALE have signed Tadgh McElroy from Ulster until the end of the season. Luke Cowan-Dickie is with England and Tommy Taylor is injured, leaving Ethan […]

Connacht vs Dragons – United Rugby Championship Preview

26 October 2024 0 comments

By Peter Ryan The Dragons will hit the road this weekend and travel to Northern Ireland to face Connacht. Dai Flanagan’s side will be desperate […]

Snyman shows who’s boss

20 October 2024 0 comments

Connacht …….. 12 Leinster ………..33 ■ By JOHN FALLON RG SNYMAN again showed his class as an understrength Leinster side proved far too strong for […]

Young Guns – Max Clein

20 October 2024 0 comments

Young Guns Max Clein is enjoying learning from his childhood hero Sean Cronin at Munster and hopes to emulate the Ireland legend’s career. Cronin won […]

Murphy has the last word over his son

13 October 2024 0 comments

By JOHN FALLON Ulster …………….32pts Tries: Andrew 2, Postlethwaite 11, Cooney 28, McCann 49, Timoney 76 Conversions: Cooney 3, 29 Penalty: Cooney 72 Connacht ………27pts […]

Davies double not enough for Scarlets

6 October 2024 0 comments

By ROGER PANTING Scarlets …………23pts Tries: Davies 22, 30 Conversions: Costelow 22, 30 Penalties: Costelow 42, 73; Lloyd 52 Connacht ……… 24pts Tries: O’Conor 7, […]

Ospreys can do nothing to stop Munster taking charge

6 October 2024 0 comments

■By JOHN FALLON Munster ………..23pts Tries: McCarthy 1, Farrell 26, Nash 40, O’Donoghue 64. Penalty: Crowley 9 Ospreys ………….. 0pts IRISH scrum-half Craig Casey said […]

Juarno Augustus: I fight to stop feeling sick

29 September 2024 0 comments

By Jon Newcombe Saints fans’ favourite Juarno Augustus leaves nothing in the tank on the pitch and is close to emptying his stomach off it […]

Zebre stun Munster with almighty comeback win

29 September 2024 0 comments

By James Lyons Zebre, beaten in all 20 previous games by Munster, pulled off one of the biggest shocks in URC history by staging an […]

Connacht launch incredible second half comeback to down the Sharks

29 September 2024 0 comments

By Matt Couch Connacht overturned a 20-point half-time deficit to clinch a five-try victory to go third in the table. First Half They dominated the […]

Alex Nankivell the difference as Munster win a thriller

22 September 2024 0 comments

By John Fallon Munster ………..35pts Tries: Nankivell 29, Haley 32, Hodnett 45, Coombes 60, Daly 70 Conversions: Burns 29, 33, 46, 61, 71 Connacht ………33pts […]

Benetton Giosué Zilocchi, Ivan Nemer, Mirco Spagnolo, Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, Riccardo Genovese, Simone Ferrari, Thomas Gallo, Tiziano Pasquali, Bautista Bernasconi, Marco Manfredi, Siua Maile, Edoardo […]

Bristol Bears can win the Premiership says Steven Luatua

8 September 2024 0 comments

Steven Luatua believes Bristol can became the first West Country team to win the Premiership – if they start where they left off last season.

Rocky start for Sharks as Connacht enjoy their day in the sun

1 September 2024 0 comments

■ By LUKE JARMYN Connacht ………. 21pts Tries: Conversions: Tierney-Martin 18, Oliver 37, B Murphy 76 Carty 19, 38, Forde 77 Sale Sharks ……. 5pts […]

Dream Team – JJ Hanrahan

25 August 2024 0 comments

JJ Hanrahan, the Munster, Northampton, Clermont, Dragons, and Connacht fly-half, chooses the best XV he has played with or against… 1. David Kilcoyne – I […]

The Bears blueprint: Go and play without fear

28 July 2024 0 comments

PAUL REES ON HOW BRISTOL HEAD COACH PAT LAM PLANS TO GUIDE THE WEST COUNTRY OUTFIT BACK TO THE TOP Class act: Steven Luatua in […]

Newcastle agree deal for Arnold

28 July 2024 0 comments

NEWCASTLE Falcons have signed centre Sammy Arnold on a two-year contract. The 28-year-old has spent the last two seasons at Brive, where he played 25 […]

France & Japan are showing the way

2 June 2024 0 comments

Rugby’s governing class might explain it this way: “We’re making the game leaner and meaner by cutting off the excess fat.” Or alternatively: “There’s too […]

Leinster get back on right track

2 June 2024 0 comments

By JOHN FALLON Leinster ……….33 Connacht …….. 17 Leinster coach Leo Cullen praised his men for the manner in which they hammered Connacht as they […]

Awesome! Toulouse make it a super six

26 May 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Champions Cup final player of the match and European rugby’s biggest star Antoine Dupont revelled in captaining Toulouse […]

IRFU changing funding model

26 May 2024 0 comments

THE Irish Rugby Football Union has announced a change to its funding model which will see the four provinces contribute “up to 30 per cent” […]

Calcutta Cup win the highlight of my career

26 May 2024 0 comments

MY LIFE IN RUGBY Scott Steele – Former Scotland, Leicester, London Irish Harlequins & Edinburgh Scrum-Half I was sat on a mattress on the floor […]

The time Tony did plenty of learning

26 May 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS – A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER It might surprise some to learn that the only sports trophy […]

Williams is still the centre of attention

19 May 2024 0 comments

By PAUL REES When Bristol signed Benhard Janse van Rensburg and Virimi Vakatawa last year to boost their midfield, few would have picked James Williams […]

Libbok books spot in play-offs

19 May 2024 0 comments

By JOHN FALLON Connacht …….. 12 Stormers………. 16 Connacht coach Pete Wilkins lamented his side’s failure to fire a shot in a must-win clash against […]

Best I’ve felt for six years – Roux

19 May 2024 0 comments

By JON NEWCOMBE Quinn Roux is feeling in the best shape of his life but the former Ireland international admits it’ll be a stretch for […]

Munster make it seven in a row

12 May 2024 0 comments

Munster ……… 47 Connacht……… 12 By JOHN WILKINS MUNSTER made it seven wins on the spin with a seven-try victory over Connacht with seven different […]

Carter gets three-game suspension

5 May 2024 0 comments

DRAGONS second row Ben Carter has been banned for three games following his red card for a dangerous tackle against Connacht last Saturday. Carter received […]

Top two set up a final showdown

5 May 2024 0 comments

Premiership round-up By ROB COLE THE top two teams in the regular Premiership season will face off in the final on Saturday at Church Bank […]

Connacht work hard for valuable five points

28 April 2024 0 comments

By ROGER PANTING Dragons………….27pts Tries: Hughes 5, R Williams 40, Dyer 54 Conversions: Evans 5, 40, 54 Penalties: Evans 49, 62 Connacht ……… 34pts Tries: […]

Wales on a mission to survive or decline

28 April 2024 0 comments

Paul Rees asks whether the country which has won 12 Grand Slams can still afford to run four regional sides A chastening season for Welsh […]

Malins keen to get back into England contention

21 April 2024 0 comments

By PAUL REES Max Malins will use the closing weeks of the season to give the England selectors a nudge ahead of the summer Tests […]

Lam knows Diamond’s Newcastle will be tough to crack

21 April 2024 0 comments

By PAUL REES Ready: Virimi Vakatawa PAT Lam has told his players to be aware of the Steve Diamond effect when Bristol face Newcastle this […]

Livewire Devine the star of show

21 April 2024 0 comments

By JOHN FALLON @therugbypaper Connacht …… 54 Zebre …………..16 CONNACHT skipper Dave Heffernan said they need to build on this easy win to keep their […]

Outsiders aiming for a place in the final

21 April 2024 0 comments

Paul Rees looks ahead to the Champions Cup semi-finals where Quins and Saints are facing an uphill battle BEFORE this season’s Champions Cup started, there […]

Connacht know they must rise to the occasion

14 April 2024 0 comments

By SAM JACKSON PREVIEW… Benetton v Connacht Today. Kick-off 12.30pm CONNACHT know they will have to go up a gear to see off Benetton today. […]

Pienaar heads the list for Europe’s golden oldies

14 April 2024 0 comments

In the course of wheeling their way into the Challenge Cup quarter-finals last weekend against the Cheetahs, the Michelin Men of Clermont brought a somewhat […]

Bundee’s back to boost Connacht

7 April 2024 0 comments

Preview Pau v Connacht Today. 5.30pm IRELAND duo Bundee Aki and Finlay Bealham come into the starting XV as Connacht head coach Pete Wilkins names […]