“Bang.” Not a word many Manchester United fans would associate with Alexis Sanchez and his time at Old Trafford. The Chilean got off to a tepid start on his United debut, 13 months ago, against Yeovil Town in the FA Cup. On Tuesday, on the loftier Champions League stage, he put in a similarly off-key […]

7 years ago

If ever a player did not deserve to be on the end of a 4-1 defeat, it was the Irish forward The remarkable FA Cup journey of Newport County came to an end, but they gave Manchester City a right rattle. Padraig Amond scored a goal that briefly gave his side hope before the Premier […]

7 years ago

“The problem with the French is… “ France copped an unmerciful hiding from England in round two of the 2019 Guinness Six Nations. Having contrived to lose their championship opener against Wales, having been 16 ahead at half-time, Les Bleus were then hammered 44-8 by England at Twickenham. While many fans were aghast at the […]

7 years ago

Tough introduction from the lads. James Haskell can still recall his first training session with Saracens star Maro Itoje. The versatile forward, who looks set to miss the rest of the Guinness Six Nations with a knee injury, was long identified as a player that would do well at Test level. He led England U20s […]

7 years ago

The Munster captain collided with the Scottish fullback moments before that crucial Conor Murray try. Greig Laidlaw and Gregor Townsend, Scotland’s captain and head coach, gave credit to Ireland for their grinding victory in Edinburgh but they left the ground with a few sore points festering. The Scots felt referee Romain Poite had not given […]

7 years ago

Rugby friends. They may have torn lumps out of each other on the rugby pitch but the 2017 British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand saw James Haskell and Peter O’Mahony bond. The Munster and Ireland flanker was in the same squad as Haskell for that drawn Test Series against the All Blacks, and […]

7 years ago

Not sure how much of Saturday evening’s game they were watching… The opening round of the 2019 Guinness Six Nations is in the record books and Scotland lead the way. Ireland, the 2018 Grand Slam champions, lie fifth after losing their opener to England. Wales and the Scots also won, over the weekend, so it […]

7 years ago

A tough day at the office for the reigning Six Nations champions After England’s defeat of Ireland Joe Schmidt admitted his team had been thoroughly “bullied” by their visitors and Rory Best said his team were bettered in every aspect of the game. No-one in the press briefing room at the Aviva Stadium disagreed with […]

7 years ago

All the bad vibes of early 2018 are being washed away. Eddie Jones appears to have guided his England side through a storm and, on the other side of a damaging losing losing streak, they are on the up again. For Ireland, whom they beat on Saturday, they have slipped back. Going into the 2019 […]

7 years ago

Sky Sports tried to tee up Eddie Jones for a boastful response but the England coach was all business Two years ago, when Ireland tore into England to deny them a Grand Slam, Eddie Jones admitted Joe Schmidt had done a number on his side. On Saturday night in Dublin, after witnessing his England team […]

7 years ago

A lot may change between now and September, when Ireland set out to achieve their best-ever World Cup, but this Ireland squad looks very settled. In 2016, 2017 and 2018, Joe Schmidt handed out Test debuts to 36 new players. The idea was to add to his squad’s depth chart and have three, possibly four […]

7 years ago

The former England captain was welcomed to Dublin’s Aviva Stadium like a pantomime villain, but he left with cheers ringing in his ears. Over the past four months, Mike Tindall has become somewhat of a dissenting voice amid the din of praise for Ireland. Sure, he says, they are Grand Slam champions and win tight […]

7 years ago

The Grand Slam champions have gone with a strong first XV Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt has made a couple of big calls in his team to face England in Saturday’s 2019 Guinness Six Nations opener. The front row features the familiar trio of Cian Healy, captain Rory Best ad Tadhg Furlong while half backs […]

7 years ago

He’s 36 years young and now has a professional Mixed Martial Arts record of 1-0 Jake Hager is off and running in Bellator. The American, who portrayed the character Jack Swagger in World Wrestling Entertainment, has followed in the footsteps of Brock Lesnar, CM Punk and Bobby Lashley and Dave Bautista in swapping pro wrestling […]

7 years ago

This was a sickening blow and the fight was over as soon as the connection landed flush You simply don’t rally when you get caught like this. Aaron Pico was done the moment he got clipped. In the past six months, two of the top, young Bellator prospects have been savagely starched. Back in August, […]

7 years ago

Proposals will be discussed in Los Angeles next week about a re-structured rugby calendar that includes a world final between the hemispheres’ finest.

7 years ago

The former Sunderland captain only featured briefly in the documentary, but there were plenty of images of him looking forlorn Sunderland ‘Til I Die was supposed to be a documentary that charted the Black Cats’ rise from the trauma of Premier League relegation to get back in the big time for the 2018/19 season. Unfortunately, […]

7 years ago

The buzz is back Manchester United are on a roll and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is gathering momentum. Conor McGregor is in his element. United have now won eight games on the spin since the Norwegian was appointed as caretaker manager in December, after Jose Mourinho parted ways with the 20-time league champions. Solskjaer and assistant […]

7 years ago

“F**k off, you can have as many captains as you want.” As much as Owen Farrell tells us that he will be fit for the opening game of the Guinness Six Nations, against champions Ireland, talk abounds about who will lead England out at the Aviva Stadium. With Dylan Hartley out injured, and with Farrell […]

7 years ago

Let the games begin The Hurlingham Club in London is hosting the 2019 Guinness Six Nations launch on Wednesday and we will soon be inundated with quotes, predictions, platitudes and fitness updates in the coming hours. The days are often heavy going for the head coaches and captains of the six countries involved. They have […]

7 years ago

The former England captain is perplexed by the inclusion of an old teammate. Eddie Jones has claimed his latest England squad, for the opening rounds of the Guinness Six Nations, is the strongest one assembled since he took up the head coach job. The make-up of England’s squad certainly looks better for the inclusion of […]

7 years ago

Book the weekend of March 29-31 off. You’ll be busy Leinster taking on Ulster in Dublin, just two weeks after the Guinness Six Nations wraps up. Munster’s travelling hordes swarming all over Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium with a place in the last four at stake. Yes, please. Another weekend of European club rugby and another clean […]

7 years ago

That would mean ‘The Eagle’ would not be back until July at the earliest

7 years ago

Drama all over the shop Shane Lowry began the final day of the Abu Dhabi Championship leading by three shots. By the 11th hole, he was four behind Richard Strerne. On the last hole, after a remarkable comeback, he pulled off a miraculous three-wood approach shot and followed that up with two putts and a birdie […]

7 years ago

Nice try Paul Pogba is flying under new Manchester United boss, scoring five goals and setting up another four since the Norwegian took over from Jose Mourinho. In Saturday’s Premier League clash with Brighton, Pogba was the man to get United going again. Midway through the first half, Pogba was given a nudge in the […]

7 years ago

England could be without their captain and vice-captain for the 2019 Guinness Six Nations opener Wrist or thumb injury? Saracens could not get that message clear but, they stressed, Owen Farrell should be fit for the start of the Six Nations. Just over an hour before their Champions Cup clash with Glasgow Warriors, Sarries announced […]

7 years ago

James Haskell looked at Richie McCaw lift the World Cup trophy at Twickenham, in 2015, and retire after the final. He knows, though, that the All Blacks captain was the exception, rather than the rule. Haskell, who has won three Six Nations titles with England, is 33 now and has been hampered by injuries over […]

7 years ago

“I got quite lucky. They’re not all like this, from what I know.” The ‘they’re’ Chloe Madeley is referring to is rugby players. It is a subject she has learned a lot about ever since, at James’ urging, she jumped onboard ‘The Haskell Train’. The Northampton Saints and England star has been with Madeley since […]

7 years ago

Sun in the eyes The Brandywell in Derry has seen some magic moments over the years, but most of the home fans would have been happier not seeing this. Northern Ireland Football League Irish Premiership side Glentoran took the lead over hosts Institute on Saturday when their goalkeeper, Elliott Morris, scored from a free-kick from […]

7 years ago

He simply couldn’t resist On Match of the Day on Saturday Gary Lineker joked that he surely would have been eligible for the Irish national team back in the 1980s due to the fact that his father went fishing in Ireland “every year for 50 years”. “In Big Jack (Charlton’s) time that would’ve qualified me,” […]

7 years ago

The Champ Champ… Champ? It could be just two fights away Conor McGregor has been linked with Dustin Poirier, Nate Diaz, Donald Cerrone, Max Holloway and a rematch against Khabib Nurmagomedov in the past few months. There has even been talk of a return to the boxing ring to face Paulie Malignaggi. UFC president Dana White […]

7 years ago

As the Munster captain looked to make a rip on the ball-carrier and keep up with his ridiculous average of three turnovers per game, he looked in immediate discomfort Peter O’Mahony is in the form of his life, this season, but his momentum is set to be slowed by a rib injury sustained in Munster’s […]

7 years ago

“When the Australian army came to help, afterwards, they said the place was like a war zone.” Ben Ryan’s story about guiding Fiji to gold medal glory at the Rio Olympics, in 2016, is simply incredible and, after his well-received debut, we simply had to invite him back on House of Rugby – JOE’s weekly rugby show […]

7 years ago

It was a throwaway line made, Nick Easter, suspects to a couple of close teammates that knew he was being “facetious”. The 2011 World Cup was pretty forgetful for England. Having claimed the Six Nations title, six months previous, Martin Johnson’s men went to New Zealand as the northern hemisphere side to watch. England topped their pool […]

7 years ago

The real tests will flood in after the FA Cup tie with Reading

7 years ago

Solskjaer is turning water into wine Twelve goals scored in three games and nine points secured from three victories. The joy has been brought back to Manchester United. Sure, a run of Cardiff (away), Huddersfield (home) and Bournemouth (home) was always going to help new caretaker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but don’t try telling us that […]

7 years ago

“Sit down you silly boy!” James Haskell, Mike Tindall and Alex Payne in festive suits and in end-of-year party mode. The final House of Rugby episode of 2018 was a cracker and all three men were in fine form as they spoke about everything from abusive Springboks supporters, dinner at Richard & Judy’s and the […]

7 years ago

Totally reasonable

7 years ago

Unlucky James Ryan Each year, the BBC ask rugby fans to submit their Best XV from players the world over. The uptake is always huge and some 60,000 people made their selections. From those picks, the World Team of the Year was assembled, and there are six Irish names in that XV. Cian Healy, Tadhg […]

7 years ago

This feels like the beginning of a beautiful rivalry Ronan O’Gara was 32 when Johnny Sexton arrived on the scene and took his Ireland jersey. The pair traded it over the next two years before O’Gara finished out his Ireland career in a supporting role. Johnny Sexton is 33 now but he expects to be […]

7 years ago

Leinster and Munster tear strips off each other Who said this rivalry had lost its bite? Munster and Leinster used to hate each other. They used to despise each other. All that was a thing of the past, or so we were told. The success of the Ireland squad, and the sense of togetherness fostered […]

7 years ago

“When this guy buckles down and focuses, he does amazing things” Dana White is one man that can surely relate to Conor McGregor. The UFC president was already doing well for money but he became a multi, multi-millionaire when the company was bought by WME-IMG for $4 billion in 2017. White could have easily stepped away and […]

7 years ago

In the summer of 2017, Mo Salah was all set to leave Roma. Two clubs were sizing up a move Having revived his career in Italy with first Fiorentina and then Roma, Mo Salah was subject to some interest from a host of clubs. When Roma demanded £40m for the Egyptian, several of those clubs […]

7 years ago

Safe to say, the Portuguese did not see the end coming Jose Mourinho’s stint as Manchester United boss came to an end after just two and a half years and the club let him go ‘with immediate effect’ on Tuesday morning. As previously reported, Mourinho arrived at the club’s training complex at Carrington just before […]

7 years ago

Connacht will have nightmares over this one

7 years ago

Unreal start for the Norwegian at Cardiff

7 years ago

62% of retired rugby players have suffered mental health problems. As stand-outs figures go, this one from the Rugby Players Association’s latest players’ survey certainly stands out. Mike Tindall was part of a new breed of rugby players that emerged after the game went from amateur to professional in the mid 1990s. It took a […]

7 years ago

Jose Mourinho has gone but life moves on for Manchester United United parted company with Mourinho on Tuesday morning and with a ‘Bye guys’ to the waiting media outside the Carrington training complex, he was out the gap. The club will have to stump up a chunk of compensation but the board must have felt […]

7 years ago

José Mourinho has missed his chance to give this exciting youngster his senior debut This time last week, Jose Mourinho was still the Manchester United manager and he was speaking highly about two young talents – Mason Greenwood and James Garner. With United already qualified for the knock-out games, Mourinho used the fixture to rest […]

7 years ago

“Attack. Attack. Attack.” Twice in the space of four days, the Manchester United fans urged Jose Mourinho’s team to embrace an ethos that had served the club so well over the previous two and a half decades, and back beyond the Alex Ferguson era. A close friend of mine spoke to me the day after he […]

7 years ago