Lansdowne start the season with thrilling win over Garryowen and all the Ulster Bank League results

Division 1A: Garryowen 25-32 Lansdowne Dooradoyle LANSDOWNE LAUNCHED THEIR Ulster Bank League campaign with a 32-25 bonus point victory away to Garryowen. The Light Blues battled back for a late losing bonus point, but the visitors were full value for their win which builds on their early season Leinster Senior League Cup form. John O’Donnell …

Rieko Ioane wins hat-trick battle in 82-point thriller

A HAT-TRICK FROM 19-year-old Rieko Ioane helped Auckland to a 44-38 victory against Bay of Plenty in the Mitre 10 Cup overnight. The teenager went over three times at Rotorua International Stadium to help his team to a hard-fought win in wet conditions. Source: The Tight Five Rugby Union/YouTube Number eight Joe Tupe also scored …

Friend names Connacht team for season-defining Cardiff showdown

CONNACHT HEAD COACH Andy Friend has made two changes for Saturday’s crucial Guinness Pro14 clash against Cardiff Blues in Galway, with Bundee Aki and Paul Boyle returning to the starting XV. Aki resumes his midfield partnership with Tom Farrell after sitting out last weekend’s victory over Zebre, while Boyle comes into the back row in …

Johnny Sexton shines as Leinster set up European final with Saracens

Leinster 30 Toulouse 12 Click Here: cheap wests tigers jersey Murray Kinsella reports from the Aviva Stadium THAT HE ATTEMPTED a 45-metre drop goal and very nearly pulled it off spoke volumes of how confident Johnny Sexton was feeling. The Leinster out-half underlined his enduring quality with a man-of-the-match performance as Leo Cullen’s side advanced …

Imposing centre Farrell says Munster’s attack ‘really needs to kick on’

ONLY GLASGOW AND Leinster have scored more tries than Munster in the Guinness Pro14 this season, but the Champions Cup stats possibly tell a truer story about the southern province’s attack. In the European competition, Exeter, Cardiff Blues, Leinster, Montpellier, Racing 92, Saracens, Scarlets, Toulouse and Ulster – several of whom didn’t even get to …

‘I’d question how this was allowed happen. It has played out incredibly badly’

FORMER IRELAND HOOKER Bernard Jackman has questioned how Munster got themselves into a situation where they now must recruit two new coaches to Johann van Graan’s backroom team, rather than supplement what they already had in place. It was announced this week that both Felix Jones and Jerry Flannery will leave their roles as attack/backline …

Van Graan to take his time with review ahead of ‘big summer’ for Munster

Ryan Bailey reports from the RDS MUNSTER HEAD COACH Johann van Graan says, as things stand, scrum-half Nick McCarthy will be the only new addition to his squad for next season despite the province ending another campaign trophy-less and utterly deflated. As was the case last year, Munster’s season came to a crashing halt in …

Former Ireland U20 out-half McPhillips leaves Ulster for Leicester

JOHNNY MCPHILLIPS HAS become the second Irish player to join Leicester Tigers ahead of next season, as the former Ireland U20 out-half leaves Ulster for Welford Road. Following Leinster’s Noel Reid to the Premiership club, McPhillips joins Leicester, coached by former Ireland international Geordan Murphy, ahead of the 2019/20 season. McPhillips leaves Ulster after making …