IRELAND AND LEINSTER openside Sean O’Brien is still making tentative steps on the road to a full recovery from the hamstring injury suffered in February, but he never doubted that he would be back. There…
WALLABIES COACH Michael Cheika said today that Israel Folau’s “disrespectful” anti-gay comments had ruled him out of selection as the World Cup looms. Cheika said Folau, who is facing the sack by Rugby Australia for…
JONNY WILKINSON’S LAST-SECOND drop goal to win the Rugby World Cup for England in 2003 earned him iconic status but left him feeling empty and unable to cope. The former England fly-half, who turns 40…
THERE IS NO denying that Saracens were physically better than Leinster on Saturday at St James’ Park, as they regularly dominated the collisions. “You know, it’s genetics really, you can really only do some much…
EXPERIENCED FRANCE HOOKER Benjamin Kayser, who won both the Top 14 and the English Premiership, said on Wednesday he will retire at the end of the season. Kayser, 34, who made the last of his…
THE WORLD RUGBY U20 Championship got off to a storming start on Tuesday with high-octane, high-scoring contests between the best and brightest young rugby talents. Today, World Rugby released their top five tries from the…
CONOR O’SHEA HAS ruled himself out of becoming the new Munster CEO and says his sole focus is on getting Italy ready for the World Cup in Japan. O’Shea admitted that he was aware of…
JOHANN VAN GRAAN says he is relishing the opportunity to welcome two new coaches to his Munster backroom team this summer, as the southern province’s pre-season preparations move through the gears. Van Graan returned from…
‘HOW DO WE perceive ourselves?’ went the team-shaping question from Joe Schmidt in the earliest days of his tenure as Ireland head coach in 2013. The resounding answer came back from a room full of…
NEW ZEALAND HEAD coach Steve Hansen dismissed concerns about losing their number one world ranking as he concentrated on a World Cup selection conundrum after demolishing Australia. Despite scoring five unanswered tries to retain the…