Author: EMPEZARUNBLIG

ULSTER HAVE CONFIRMED that Andrew Trimble and Rob Herring will captain the squad for the 2016/17 season, replacing Rory Best. Director of rugby Les Kiss indicated that the “new leadership structure” came with the blessing of Ireland captain Best. Trimble has vast experience. Source: James Crombie/INPHO 31-year-old Trimble is Ulster’s most capped player with 206 appearances, […]

HEAD COACH LEO Cullen has handed talented out-half Joey Carbery his first start in a Leinster shirt as the province prepare to get their Guinness Pro12 season under way against Benetton Treviso at the RDS tomorrow night (7.35pm). The 21-year-old Auckland-born Athy man made his Leinster debut off the bench last March away to the […]

THE SMILE WAS back on Pat Lam’s face in Galway yesterday, as the rare September sun shone down on the Sportsground. Bottom of the Guinness Pro12, two defeats in two home games, 10 tries conceded and the title defence off to a disastrous start, but Lam has regathered himself. Lam was in positive form yesterday […]

Home Michael McKillop and Jason Smyth show off their gold medals. Source: James Crombie/INPHO Davy Fitzgerald has stepped down as manager of the Clare senior hurling team, ending speculation around his future in the role.Ireland’s Paralympic team have returned home to a hero’s welcome after winning 11 medals at the Games in Rio.Bohemians have struck […]

FORMER LIMERICK MINOR hurler Conor Fitzgerald will advance onto a senior professional contract with Connacht next season. The 21-year-old out-half joined Connacht’s academy at the start of the current season after being released from Munster’s academy last year. Fitzgerald has taken his chances since making the move to Connacht. Source: Bryan Keane/INPHO Former Ireland U20s […]

PAUL O’CONNELL HAS ruled out the prospect of an immediate return to Munster as he prepares to depart his coaching role at Stade Francais at the end of this season. Last month the Limerick native confirmed he would not be extending his contract in the French capital, but said he must garner more experience before even […]

LEINSTER AND MUNSTER could meet in the Guinness Pro14 semi-finals for the second year running, but the southern province must first overcome history-makers Benetton in next weekend’s quarter-final tie. Johann van Graan’s side were unable to overtake Glasgow Warriors at the top of Conference A, and so bypass the quarters for a home tie in […]

LEINSTER’S SELECTION PICTURE for Saturday’s Heineken Champions Cup final against Saracens is already taking shape early in the week, with Leo Cullen hopeful of fielding an unchanged team for the St James’ Park showdown. Seán Cronin has stepped up his recovery from the calf injury he sustained in the semi-final victory over Toulouse and is […]

EVEN AS THE heavens opened over the RDS this afternoon, Josh van der Flier remained on the pitch after Leinster’s captain’s run to work on his skills with Emmet Farrell. With place-kickers Johnny Sexton and Ross Byrne the only other players still left in the rain, van der Flier spent 10 minutes with Leinster’s kicking […]

WE KNEW LEINSTER had been left devastated by losing the Champions Cup final to Saracens earlier this month, their first defeat in the European decider after four previous wins, but perhaps we didn’t quite appreciate the extent of the dejection. James Lowe says it was “a mourning process” for the squad. Indeed, it required the province […]