Ireland have it all to do if they are to stop the French juggernaut in Paris this Saturday!

Although it’s so early in the day, Round 2 to be precise, it’s hard to not look at Saturday’s clash in Paris as a possible Championship decider. There is little doubt that both teams are red hot at the moment. However, before we all get too carried away, let’s put it in perspective. As goodContinue reading “Ireland have it all to do if they are to stop the French juggernaut in Paris this Saturday!”

Ireland line up at the Aviva with a squad that looks set to take no Welsh prisoners!

And so it begins!!! The tournament that we anticipate more than any other is finally about to get underway. After the empty stadiums of the past two years, the crowds are back and will add that critical 16th man element to every home team as well as all the color and festive atmosphere the tournamentContinue reading “Ireland line up at the Aviva with a squad that looks set to take no Welsh prisoners!”

This year’s Six Nations looks set to be the most exciting and unpredictable annual classic that we’ve seen in a very long time!!!!

Yes it’s finally here, a tournament that for most of us is the highlight of our annual rugby calendar. That in no way detracts from the Rugby Championship for our Southern Hemisphere friends but as International Test Rugby’s oldest annual dustup, the Six Nations has so much history behind it that it’s hard to topContinue reading “This year’s Six Nations looks set to be the most exciting and unpredictable annual classic that we’ve seen in a very long time!!!!”

November Internationals – North vs South and what we’ve learned – Part 5

After a month of truly vintage North vs South International Test Rugby, we take a look at what the respective Coaches of the big Ten learnt about their charges. I’ll try and get at least one a week out which should be a good segue into the buildup for the Six Nations in the NewContinue reading “November Internationals – North vs South and what we’ve learned – Part 5”

Ireland attempt to prove they’ve turned a corner against New Zealand

As mentioned over on the TV page, I’m slightly slammed with work at the moment, but there are three genuinely tasty fixtures in this weekend’s second Round of the November Internationals that simply have to be acknowledged. So here are the things that struck me from each of the three, with this second instalment lookingContinue reading “Ireland attempt to prove they’ve turned a corner against New Zealand”

A Whirlwind Tour of this weekend’s Autumn International action – Part 1

As mentioned over on the TV page, work is dominating my life at the moment, so there is very little time to watch all the great rugby coming our way over the next three weeks, let alone write about it. However, with so much to talk about, felt I had to get something down onContinue reading “A Whirlwind Tour of this weekend’s Autumn International action – Part 1”

In a weekend that had just as much relevance as the Lions trials and tribulations in South Africa – Ireland, Wales and England gave us plenty to think about while the USA and Japan gave their supporters plenty of reasons to be cheerful and Canada reached for some Advil!

In this post we take a whip round last weekend’s Test action which although not as dramatic as the high stakes Lions tour in South Africa, taught us a great deal about what might be available come the much bigger prize of the World Cup in two years time. Canada and the USA got toContinue reading “In a weekend that had just as much relevance as the Lions trials and tribulations in South Africa – Ireland, Wales and England gave us plenty to think about while the USA and Japan gave their supporters plenty of reasons to be cheerful and Canada reached for some Advil!”

Six Nations 2021 Report Card – Part 1

With the dust now settled on what for us has been one of the most riveting Six Nations in years, it’s time to hand out the marks. Despite the lack of crowds, the quality of rugby for the most part did not suffer and we were treated to a series of vintage games that areContinue reading “Six Nations 2021 Report Card – Part 1”

Super Saturday’s Second Fixture sees Ireland and England looking to end their respective Six Nations Campaigns on a high!

England and France may be “le Crunch” but England and Ireland contests are renown for packing plenty of intensity and emotion. Last weekend’s “Crunch” at Twickenham provided arguably the best game of the tournament to date, as in a nailbiting and fast flowing game a rejuvenated England managed to narrowly derail France’s Grand Slam ambitions.Continue reading “Super Saturday’s Second Fixture sees Ireland and England looking to end their respective Six Nations Campaigns on a high!”

Round 4’s final game of this Six Nations weekend between a Scottish side rueing some lost momentum and an Irish team just starting to build some – should be a cracker!

This has become an increasingly tasty fixture in the last few years, and at Murrayfield it seems to develop an extra layer of intensity. Ireland travel to Edinburgh fresh off an impressive dismantling of a rather poor Italian side, while Scotland will be fuming at their enforced abstinence from Six Nations rugby as a resultContinue reading “Round 4’s final game of this Six Nations weekend between a Scottish side rueing some lost momentum and an Irish team just starting to build some – should be a cracker!”