Monthly Archives: August 2011

Tragic end to McKinley’s bright career

Posted on August 31, 2011 by Brendan Fanning

  When Ian McKinley was named man of the match in Leinster’s Magners League win against Treviso last February it seemed to complete one of the most remarkable comebacks we’d seen in Irish rugby. Just over a year earlier he … Continue reading →

Posted in Irish Rugby, Leinster Rugby, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Kidney faces awesome coaching challenge

Posted on August 30, 2011 by Brendan Fanning

   I came across Brendan Moran’s picture earlier today from the 2003 World Cup in Australia when Declan Kidney was assistant to Eddie O’Sullivan. You may recall at the time Kidney was the rugby equivalent of ‘dead man walking’, for when … Continue reading →

Posted in Irish Rugby, Rugby Opinion, Rugby World Cup | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Ireland’s to-do list: short and sweet

Posted on August 26, 2011 by Brendan Fanning

1 Treat this as a Test match, not a pokeresque exercise in keeping tricks up your sleeve to be withdrawn at a later date, while at the same time benefitting solely from having taken part in the exercise. It doesn’t … Continue reading →

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O’Brien in doubt for US game

Posted on August 24, 2011 by Brendan Fanning

Sean O’Brien became the latest back row worry for Declan Kidney when he took a bang on the knee at training that could rule him out of the US game which opens Ireland’s World Cup programme on 11 September. I … Continue reading →

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Kidney leaves O’Leary in the lurch

Posted on August 22, 2011 by Brendan Fanning

  By a distance the biggest call of Declan Kidney’s World Cup squad, to be announced at lunchtime today, is the omission of Tomas O’Leary. Shane Jennings also came up short with his late run to get onto the back … Continue reading →

Posted in Irish Rugby, Rugby News, Rugby Opinion, Rugby World Cup | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Walking wounded keep on coming

Posted on August 19, 2011 by Brendan Fanning

  As expected David Wallace will have to withdraw from the Ireland team to play France tomorrow, because of a tight hamstring. Good news for Shane Jennings, even if his first start since breaking his arm last May will now … Continue reading →

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Good night for McFadden and Boss

Posted on August 18, 2011 by Brendan Fanning

Ratings on Ireland v Connacht 15 Geordan Murphy: keen and very active which is probably better news for Leicester than Ireland at this stage 14/13/12 Johne Murphy/Darren Cave/Ian Keatley (replaced by Ian Whitten): not in RWC plans 11 Fergus McFadden: … Continue reading →

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Brace yourself for more World Cup trauma

Posted on August 15, 2011 by Brendan Fanning

I don’t know whether it will be in the first World Cup game next month, between New Zealand and Tonga, or in the last between whoever makes the final, or indeed in how many games between those points, but you … Continue reading →

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Williams to benefit from French investment

Posted on August 12, 2011 by Brendan Fanning

  Matt Williams would like to correct the false impression floating aroundFranceand elsewhere that he will be coachingNarbonneas of next week. Which is not to say that he won’t be coaching them next month.  French rugby comes across like a … Continue reading →

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Stringer struggling to make the ton

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Brendan Fanning

This is where it gets difficult. This is the point where the idea of being part of the international squad is not necessarily as attractive as we all presume. This is the staging post where there are those who are … Continue reading →

Posted in Irish Rugby, Munster Rugby, Rugby World Cup, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments