BILBAO’S SAN MAMÉS, St James Park and, this week, Celtic Park. Scott Fardy has ticked a couple of sporting venues off his checklist in recent times, and as a Liverpool supporter, has enjoyed the experience of running out for Leinster at some famous football grounds. But most enjoyable, he says, was an afternoon in the…
WAYNE PIVAC’S FIRST match in charge of Wales will see him take on predecessor Warren Gatland and the Barbarians in November. Pivac will replace Gatland in charge of the Six Nations Grand Slam champions following this year’s Rugby World Cup in Japan. But Gatland, who has led Wales for 12 years, will soon return to…
INJURY, RUGBY PLAYERS constantly tell us, is just part and parcel of the game. While those of us on the outside peering in feel some kind of vicarious gut-wrench whenever a talented athlete pulls up or gets knocked down, those involved usually insist they take every blow on the chin and march forth. It’s not…
WORLD RUGBY HAS confirmed an amendment to its law book that aims to end the dangerous practice of ‘axial loading’ at scrums. The change to the scrummaging laws is effective immediately as World Rugby stressed “its commitment to evidence-based injury-reduction”. An example of what has been outlawed. Source: World Rugby The scrum amendment comes after…
IT WOULD BE understandable if Luke McGrath approached these next six weeks with his sense of opportunity tempered by an element of apprehension, given the scrum-half’s luck — or lack thereof — with injuries in recent years. McGrath has suffered his fair share of setbacks over the last two seasons, his consistently excellent form for…
S’BUSISO NKOSI SCORED two brilliant tries as South Africa beat Argentina 24-18 on Saturday in a Rugby World Cup warm-up match in Pretoria. The winger struck in each half for the Springboks, who found the going much tougher than last weekend when they hammered the Pumas by 33 points in Salta to win the Rugby…
FORMER IRISH PROP Nathan White has been added to the Connacht coaching ticket for the remainder of the season. The 35-year old, who was forced to retire earlier this season following a concussion injury which kept him out of action since last March, is to join Pat Lam’s management team. Connacht Eagles coach and former…
LEINSTER HAVE NAMED Johnny Sexton in their team to face Zebre in the Guinness Pro12 clash at the RDS tomorrow [KO 7.35pm, TG4]. Source: Billy Stickland/INPHO The 31-year-old will captain the province as he makes his comeback from a hamstring injury that has kept him sidelined since Ireland’s meeting with New Zealand on 19 November….
THESE ARE THE type of weeks — big European weeks — that Robbie Henshaw upped sticks and headed east for. Friday night under the lights at the RDS is always a special occasion, but this week’s visit of Montpellier for a high-stakes European fixture adds a further level of excitement, nervousness and everything in between….
IN TERMS OF their fortunes in the Champions Cup pool stage at least, Leinster’s last 12 months has been a perfect story arc. A year ago today, the eastern province welcomed Bath to the RDS having already been forced to accept their fate after four pool defeats. Playing for nothing more than pride, head coach…