“We got him a pair of chap-less leather pants, for some reason.” John Hayes must have looked some sight – a cross between his usual, fearsome self and an extra from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Rugby teams often go all out for two big occasions during the year – a pre-season bash and a […]

7 years ago

“I’ve been beaten with baseball bats, I’ve had my throat slashed, I’ve been kidnapped and exiled out of the country… I’ve been shot twice, I’ve been in prison and my son’s just been stabbed to death.” Among all that, Eamonn Magee says, he was welterweight champion of the world while drinking the bar dry and […]

7 years ago

“I could show him a thing or two.” Becky Lynch has a connection with Straight Blast Gym – home of Conor McGregor – but she has never met ‘The Notorious’ in person. Not yet anyway. McGregor is not the only one loving Lynch’s rapid rise in the WWE – an overnight success after 16 years […]

7 years ago

“What is the point of getting there if you don’t believe?” So said Mickey Graham, coach of Mullinalaghta St Columba’s, before his team took on Dublin champions Kilmacud Crokes in the Leinster Senior Football Championship final. The tiny Longford parish won their first ever Leinster crown when they defeated Crokes 1-8 to 1-6. The scores were level […]

7 years ago

MUNSTER – 30 CASTRES – 5 As 2018 winds down, we are getting a lot of Team and Player of the Year awards, votes and opinions. Conor Murray’s name is not in enough of the debates, conversations and, for that matter, teams. The likes of Faf de Klerk, Aaron Smith and even Ben Youngs have all […]

7 years ago

“It has been an amazing journey so far, and a massive honour to captain Ireland.” Sene Naoupu was 25 when she packed up with her husband, George, and fly out from New Zealand to settle in Galway. George had been offered a dream opportunity to play professional rugby in Japan when Kolbeco Steelers signed him from […]

7 years ago

‘JJ’ has gone from one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in UFC history to a person desperately in need of a break from the sport. First, Ronda Rousey and now Joanna Jedrzejczyk. The former titans of their respective UFC weight divisions have been proved to be human. Jedrzejczyk may have lost out on a chance to […]

7 years ago

We love the hustle. Shame he couldn’t last more than 55 seconds, though. The first fight of the night, as UFC 231 kicked off in Toronto, was the light heavyweight bout between Devin Clark and Aleksandar Rakic. Later on, Max Holloway and Brian Ortega would serve up ‘Fight of the Night’ in the main event but […]

7 years ago

“I’ll tell you what, Dana White. I want to be the No. 1 pound-for-pound. If there are guys at 155lbs then let’s do it.” UFC president Dana White was clearly listening, and nodding in agreement. Not long after Max Holloway retained his featherweight belt by stopping Brian Ortega in the final round of the UFC […]

7 years ago

The unluckiest lad of all is surely Jacob Stockdale. A Six Nations try-scoring record, a key role in the series win over Australia and a matchwinning try against the All Blacks in Dublin. 2017/18 for Jacob Stockdale also saw him equalling Tommy Bowe’s previous record for tries in a season (club and country) when he […]

7 years ago

BATH – 10 LEINSTER – 17 The Leinster juggernaut is rumbling in Europe again but it took a sublime Jordan Larmour moment to get the job done at The Rec. The reigning champions will know they were in a match this evening and there will be a lot of sore bodies on the flight back […]

7 years ago

If the much spoken about Dustin Poirier fight does not materialise, fight fans would flock to this bout too. UFC president Dana White has floated the prospect of Conor McGregor taking on Poirier early next year. The fight would take place around the same time as UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov defended his belt against […]

7 years ago

Incredible antics here. The Leinster fans wanted a blue wave to welcome the European champions onto the pitch at Bath’s Recreation Ground this afternoon. Unfortunately, some Grade A jobsworthiness has denied them the opportunity. Leinster take on Bath at The Rec in their third Champions Cup pool encounter of the season. Having lost away to Toulouse […]

7 years ago

Nicknamed ‘Pablo Escobar’ because he is considered such an upper-level operator within the Ulster and Irish squads. Rory Best is tougher and more ruthless than most give him credit for. This is a man that went toe-to-toe and shuttle run to shuttle run with Jerry Flannery for the Ireland No.2 jersey and who effectively operates […]

7 years ago

No surprise, then, that all four were over in Monaco for the World Rugby awards. Joe Schmidt opted to send over his emissaries, late last month, when World rugby was handing out awards for Team, Coach and Player of the Year. It was handy that he sent his top lieutenants over as there was plenty […]

7 years ago

Two of the most relieved men in Moscow, back in May 2008, when Nicolas Anelka had his penalty saved by Edwin van der Sar were surely Rio Ferdinand and Cristiano Ronaldo. The Champions League final between Manchester United and Chelsea was played out in torrents of rain, in Moscow, and wrapped up around midnight (local […]

7 years ago

The Ulster winger would have been forgiven for wondering if he would ever get to start against New Zealand. While many of the senior Ireland squad were left behind at Carton House with Joe Schmidt, Stockdale was packing his bags and jetting off to Chicago. The All Blacks game was ‘all people could talk about’ […]

7 years ago

“Just go play.” A forward pack given freedom to do their own training… sounds like a story waiting to happen. James Haskell and Mike Tindall were reunited on the latest episode of House of Rugby – JOE’s rugby show – and regaled Alex Payne with some class stories on body shape, Barbarians and text exchanges with Sam […]

7 years ago

“He’s got that mythical Munster element to him.” Peter O’Mahony recent deeds against Argentina and the All Blacks, as well as his early season form for Munster, have garnered a lot of attention on these, and foreign, shores. The Munster captain has been at his redoubtable best this season and set a high bar with […]

7 years ago

“He was always talented. He was someone they were saying was going to come through.” For Ulster, Chris Farrell is most definitely one that got away. Seen as an outstanding prospect when he lined out for Ireland U20s, Farrell’s breakthrough at Ulster was hampered by an ACL [knee] injury and a jammed midfield that contained […]

7 years ago

Rush of blood. Shane Duffy had no-one to blame but himself, on Tuesday, when he was given his marching orders in Brighton’s 3-1 win over Crustal Palace. The Ireland international has been going well for Chris Hughton’s men in recent months but he put them in a spot of bother by getting too aggressive with […]

7 years ago

Like a scene out of Happy Gilmore. Rugby in Ireland appears to be moving away from the old-school mentality of young players having to learn the tough way about professional rugby, and having to eat some hard knocks before they are accepted by the senior squad. On a recent episode of JOE UK’s House of […]

7 years ago

Irish rugby fans had been waiting for some humble pie to be eaten, but it never arrived. Mike Tindall had been stirring the pot for a number of weeks, in the lead-up to Ireland’s Guinness Series clash with New Zealand and claimed they will “never” do well in a World Cup. Tindall, who won a World […]

7 years ago

The ‘red mist’ immediately descended. The All Blacks squad are very much into newbies earning their spot on the team bus, and biding their time before they join ‘the big dogs’ down in the back row. Ardie Savea once commented, “The coaches normally take up the first two rows, after the driver, then it’s the […]

7 years ago

“The first training session with Leinster was with him and he gave me my first Irish cap as well.” Josh van der Flier’s professional rugby career has been closely linked with Joe Schmidt, and he is not the only player to have benefitted greatly from the relationship. The Leinster flanker has been a reliable, redoubtable […]

7 years ago

Schmidt has made a decision on his future

7 years ago

You don’t see that every day. Coach of the Year – Joe Schmidt Team of the Year – Ireland Player of the Year – Johnny Sexton That was pretty darn close to a green sweep for Ireland as the team, their coach and their outhalf all took home top prizes at the World Rugby awards. […]

7 years ago

A fitting reward, and award, for a remarkable 2018. Johnny Sexton has had some fine calendar years, but this year tops the lot. In 2018, Sexton has: Kicked 99 points, including that 42-metre drop goal against France that put Ireland on course for the Grand Slam Won all nine Test matches he has started Won the Six […]

7 years ago

Back unto the breach again for Warren Gatland? Joe Schmidt is expected to announce his decision on remaining on with Ireland, or leaving after the 2019 World Cup, on Monday. Schmidt has been in Ireland since 2010 – delivering a clatter of trophies for Leinster and the national team – but most rugby reporters and […]

7 years ago

Not today Luphumlo Mguca. Not today. Connacht scored five tries to defeat Southern Kings 31-14 in an exciting Guinness PRO14 clash. Andy Friend’s side raced into a 10-0 lead after Cian Kelleher’s early try, a Jack Carty conversion and a penalty from the outhalf. Masixole Banda scored and converted his own try for the hosts before […]

7 years ago

Dr Crokes named a ridiculously strong bench but, not for the first time, their starting 15 did a heap of scoring damage. Micheal Burns, Jordan Kiely, Darran O’Sullivan and Colm Cooper all took their spots on the bench but Tony Brosnan was drafted in from the start. The forward has been a revelation for Crokes […]

7 years ago

The USA head coach and captain were the latest to lavish praise upon Ireland. US Eagles captain Blaine Scully declared, on Saturday, that Ireland are ‘the best team in the world’. Head coach Gary Gold said this was the best Irish team he had ever seen, and it was hard to argue. Ireland had retained […]

7 years ago

Refreshing approach, here. Kilmacud Crokes had three players – Cian O’Sullivan, Paul Mannion and Andrew McGowan – in with the Dublin senior football panel, and quite a few involved with the U20s and minors. Robbie Brennan is used to playing without some of his brightest lights. Brennan has led Kilmacud to a Dublin Senior Football […]

7 years ago

We arrived in time to see Johnny Sexton and Joe Schmidt collect their awards and shake some hands as they headed off early to Carton House. The Rugby Writers of Ireland awards ceremony took place at the Aviva Stadium on Wednesday evening and the setting brought back all those memories of the win over New […]

7 years ago

The current Ireland No.10 followed in the foot-steps of Keith Wood, in Monaco of all places. World Rugby’s annual awards bash have, for the past few years, taken place in the resplendent Principality in the south of France. Ireland took home prizes for Team [Ireland senior men’s] and Coach [Joe Schmidt] of the Year. Added […]

7 years ago

There was also an update on Jack Conan and Will Addison. A pitch-side update from RTE was the source of an early understanding that Munster winger Darren Sweetnam was withdrawn as a tactical substitution after only 26 minutes of Ireland’s 57-14 victory over the USA. Sweetnam was tipping along nicely – 37 metres off two […]

7 years ago

If Joe Schmidt swings around on Monday and says (by email) that he’s sticking around until 2023, you can knock us down with a feather. The Ireland head coach has assured rugby fans and his employers, the IRFU, that they will have a final decision on his future. Schmidt admitted his head was “wrecked” over […]

7 years ago

We have 48 more hours to bask in the sweet unknown. Irish rugby fans need only wait until Monday. Joe Schmidt has confirmed he will make his future coaching intentions clear at the start of the new week. With speculation mounting that Schmidt will take over from Steve Hansen as All Blacks head coach, fans […]

7 years ago

IRELAND – 57 USA – 14 Joe Schmidt’s Ireland extended their Aviva Stadium winning run to 12 and claimed their 11th victory of a memorable 2018. The USA put up a fight for 40 minutes but Ireland powered home in the second half.  Ireland were over for a try within four minutes of kick-off, with Andrew […]

7 years ago

The Australian was buoyed by his side’s emphatic victory over his countrymen at Twickenham. Eddie Jones has weathered the storm and looks set to stay on as England coach up until the 2019 World Cup, at the very least. Jones was offered a contract with the RFU up to 2021 after he helped England to […]

7 years ago

“They’re a different breed”

7 years ago

It’s all about timing, but you wonder why the nominations had to come before the November internationals. Props don’t have an easy time of it in attracting votes and nominations in end of season awards. No prop has ever won World Player of the Year, in the two decades since the accolade has been on […]

7 years ago

Saracens and England fans can’t wait to have Billy V back, and playing at full tilt. Billy Vunipola has remained pretty positive despite breaking his arms three times in the space of 12 months. He fractured his right arm twice, earlier this year, and broke his left arm in October, but is hopeful of getting […]

7 years ago

A big deal for both broadcasters, and for rugby fans in Ireland. eir sport and RTÉ have announced that a sub-licencing agreement has been reached between the two broadcasters in relation to 2019 World Cup 2019. eir Sport will be the primary rights holder and will broadcast all 48 games live, including all of Ireland’s […]

7 years ago

Sounds like a top, top night. Saturday, November 17th 2018 will go down as one of the great nights at Lansdowne Road (the Aviva Stadium) for many years to come. Ireland stepped up to face New Zealand, the world number one side and two-time reigning world champions, and a side that had not lost in […]

7 years ago

Hammer the hammer. How many times does one man have to be written off? Devin Toner is a player Ireland and Joe Schmidt just can’t quit. For every time Ireland have tried to move on without him – for every time he has been undervalued and written off – he has returned to prove his […]

7 years ago

“We want to go after them, not step away.” That was the sentiment instilled in the Ireland team by Rory Best on the night before they faced the All Blacks at Lansdowne Road. Ireland stepped forward in unison to meet the All Blacks’ Haka and they continued the theme on the pitch. Whenever possible, in their […]

7 years ago

“He looks like an Irishman now, doesn’t he?” Ian ‘Fozzy’ Foster may have worded it awkwardly, last week, but he was referring to how Bundee Aki had acclimatised to the Irish style of playing rugby. “He plays the Irish way,” said the All Blacks assistant coach. “There will be a couple of our guys who have […]

7 years ago

A smack of looming reality to snap us out of our All Blacks-slaying euphoria. Steve Hansen and Joe Schmidt have great respect for each other. They may have faced off four times as rival international coaches – winning two apiece – but they are mutual fans of the other’s work. Ahead of Ireland’s 16-9 win […]

7 years ago

He has a mighty fine point here. “If you want to make them World Cup favourites, go ahead. I guess they are favourites.” Steve Hansen said the words but you could tell he was aghast at the notion his world number one side, and the reigning world champs, could be stuck so readily in the […]

7 years ago