“I thought tonight was there for the taking, we’ll look back on that with a lot of regrets.” Johnny Sexton called many of the decisions made by himself and the Irish leadership corps “brave”, but you would have to wonder if England’s failure to throttle Italy scrambled their thinking. Whenever France play like they did […]

5 years ago

“It’s easy for me to say.” You had to feel for Andrew Conway and Rob Herring. With the rest of the defeated Ireland team packing up and boarding buses to head to the airport, they had to sit, this morning, and pick back over the scabs of last night’s loss to France. Herring and Conway […]

5 years ago

“By the time Warren Gatland is making his selection, I want to be in a position where it’s a no-brainer that he has to have me.” A month before rugby returned, Jacob Stockdale had looked back on all his Ulster and Ireland games, and even a few U20 matches, and was itching to get back […]

5 years ago

“At half-time the chat was about belief, it was a little bit off.” In Six Nations terms, Andy Farrell has had his fair share of disappointment but he went into the final day of this prolonged campaign believing his side could get the job done. Ireland had been humbled by England, back in February, but put […]

5 years ago

“I back the players to judge the feel and flow of the game.” Following Ireland’s 35-27 defeat to France, in Paris, Andy Farrell said he had no issues with Johnny Sexton and his players going for tries over penalties, but he was critical of their execution in the opposition 22. Ireland captain Sexton defended Ireland’s […]

5 years ago

The Leinster lock raged against the dying of Ireland’s Six Nations chances. James Ryan has been a constant and dogged performer for his country since his Test debut, three years ago. Steady as she goes, but with much more menacing intent and brute force than that. Ireland have finished third in the 2020 Guinness Six […]

5 years ago