1. He winces as he remembers how one of his fellow white soldiers mutilated the bodies of black freedom fighters. “This guy would cut an ear off every man he killed. He kept the ears in a jar. And he had quite a few jars. His family had been brutalised so he wanted revenge.” The 60-year-old…

WHEN WADE GILBERT speaks about coaching and culture, his enthusiasm and passion for the subjects positively pour out of him. The US native is a world-renowned performance consultant and coaching scientist who has worked with sports organisations like New Zealand Rugby, Cricket Australia, US Soccer and rugby league’s Melbourne Storm and South Sydney Rabbitohs. A professor…

THERE ARE ALWAYS whispers and murmurs. ‘Watch this kid, the next big thing.’ ‘A special talent.’ ‘He’ll make it.’ Word can spread quickly on the sidelines of a player with prodigious potential. For three years, Hugh O’Sullivan of Belvedere College — the fullback, nominally a scrum-half — was the outstanding player at Leinster Schools level,…

THE CHANCES OF Rob Kearney being fit in time for Ireland’s November Test against Argentina are increasingly unlikely, with the fullback limited to a reduced role in this morning’s squad session at Carton House. Kearney has been receiving treatment for a shoulder injury he sustained during Leinster’s Guinness Pro14 victory over Benetton last month, and…

IN THE 38-YEAR stretch between 1978 and 2016, only one Irishman tasted a rugby union victory against the All Blacks – Nick Popplewell. It came in the second Test of the 1993 Lions Tour, and New Zealand did what they usually do after defeat – won the following game to claim the series. Popplewell went…

MICHAEL CHEIKA HAS denied he tried to cover up the real reason for Kurtley Beale’s surprise axing from the Wallabies team, after it emerged he was dropped for allowing women into his hotel room. The Australia coach had on Thursday told reporters the gifted playmaker was left out of the matchday squad to play England…

LEINSTER HEAD COACH Leo Cullen says the province are hopeful that Stuart Lancaster will remain with the province into next season. Lancaster, Leinster’s senior coach, is due to be out of contract at the end of the current campaign. Lancaster is a key part of the Leinster set-up. Source: Laszlo Geczo/INPHO The RFU have intimated…

THOUGH ISA NACEWA is only a phonecall away for many in the Leinster squad, his day-to-day absence left a void for players in the environment. The utility back retired after last season’s double success with the eastern province and returned to New Zealand. With him went a sort of natural order, a cornerstone for players…

WALES FULLBACK LEIGH Halfpenny is set to miss the beginning of the Six Nations campaign due to an ongoing battle with concussion, his Scarlets head coach Wayne Pivac confirmed today.  The 30-year-old has been out of action since the Test with Australia on 10 November and Pivac said the latest prognosis had been made following…

Ryan Bailey reports from the RDS  ULSTER HAVE NOW gone nine inter-pro games away from home without victory, and at no point in Dublin last night did Dan McFarland’s side look like ending that barren run. Overmatched in almost every department by Leinster, the northern province were corralled inside their own 22 for much of…