Category Archives: Munster

Flawed system allows O’Connell to walk

Posted on April 15, 2013 by

I began to fear the worst on the Dave Kearney concussion incident when someone with much better technology than me made reference yesterday to Paul O’Connell’s shin. Not that he was hugely relieved that the tibia was still in one … Continue reading →

Posted in Brendan Fanning, Concussion, Heineken Cup, IRB, IRFU, Irish Rugby, Leinster Rugby, Munster, Munster Rugby, Refereeing, Rugby Opinion, Sports Comment | Tagged , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Shorts

Posted on April 3, 2013 by

MCKENZIE TOO HOT TO TROT When you see odds of 1/2 lobbed on someone’s head you don’t so much infer a hot favourite as a race that’s already been run. And the winner is Ewen McKenzie? Eh, not so fast … Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, Autumn Internationals, Brendan Fanning, British and Irish Lions, Irish Rugby, Munster, Munster Rugby, Saracens, Schools rugby, Sports Comment, Ulster, Ulster Rugby | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Kidney call puts him in make or break territory

Posted on February 20, 2013 by

  We used to look at the decision in 2008 to run with Denis Hurley and Tomas O’Leary ahead of Shaun Payne and Peter Stringer for Munster as the high water mark for Declan Kidney’s capacity to surprise. And then … Continue reading →

Posted in Brendan Fanning, IRFU, Irish Rugby, Leinster Rugby, Munster, Munster Rugby, Rugby, Rugby News, Rugby Opinion, Scottish rugby, Six Nations, Sports Comment, Ulster, Ulster Rugby | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Healy not looking at lengthy sentence

Posted on February 12, 2013 by

One thing we’ve learned from ugly optics on the rugby field is that what you see is not always what you get. So the seemingly awful stamp of Cian Healy on the ankle of Dan Cole was actually not as … Continue reading →

Posted in Brendan Fanning, British and Irish Lions, IRB, IRFU, Irish Rugby, Leinster Rugby, Munster, Munster Rugby, Refereeing, RFU, Rugby, Rugby News, Rugby Opinion, Sports Comment, Ulster, Ulster Rugby | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Umaga favourite for Munster job

Posted on April 13, 2012 by

Tana Umaga is first in line to succeed Tony McGahan as Munster coach. The former All Black captain is on a shortlist of three with Canterbury’s ITM coach Rob Penney, and local hero Anthony Foley. So what do Munster do … Continue reading →

Posted in All Blacks, Heineken Cup, Irish Rugby, Munster, Munster Rugby, New Zealand Rugby, Rugby News, Rugby Opinion | Tagged , , , , , , | 15 Comments

IRFU going wrong way about growing their own

Posted on December 24, 2011 by

It’s not just turkeys who get bad news in Christmas Week. If you are running professional rugby in any of Leinster, Ulster or Munster then, like the birds who live in big barns with the light on all the time, … Continue reading →

Posted in Heineken Cup, Irish Rugby, Italy rugby, Leinster Rugby, Munster, Munster Rugby, Rugby Opinion, Schools rugby, Ulster, Ulster Rugby | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Munster’s fate should have been sealed

Posted on November 16, 2011 by

Now that the ink is dry on Munster’s 41 Phases being written into their glorious history, is it safe to suggest that they should never have got past phases three or five?  This has less to do with them and … Continue reading →

Posted in IRB, Irish Rugby, Munster, Munster Rugby, Rugby Opinion, Rugby World Cup | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

Why Ronan O’Gara needs to start listening to his head

Posted on June 3, 2011 by

In the 69th minute of the Magners League final in Limerick last weekend Ronan O’Gara had another speed-bump experience. It was not unlike the one he had last year at the hands of Jamie Heaslip in the RDS. Or the … Continue reading →

Posted in Irish Rugby, Munster | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments