Irish & International Sports News, Fixtures & Results

We need to infuse and unforeseeable future with as much stability as possible

Keeping connected key during era of social distancing

Sports stars and armchair fans need to prioritise their physical and mental health during lockdown, writes Jonny Holland.

Rugby • 31 Mar 20

'There's no such way of boosting one's immune system, no matter what the cost of the supplement, but we can ensure that we stay healthy and support our immune system in every way possible'

Honeymoon period over but let's use time productively

Sleeping more, improving our cooking skills, building a home gym - there are plenty of ways to make use of this time at home

Rugby • 24 Mar 20

"With club gyms closed and and group training forbidden, it is a very strange time to be involved in elite sport"

Athletes must keep the stove warm without going too far

Johnny Holland on the added dilemma facing elite athletes and the steps they may be taking over the coming weeks of uncertainty.

Rugby • 20 Mar 20

'We saw a very high standard of rugby played between Twickenham and Murrayfield'

Ireland's watching brief throws up Six Nations intrigue

The two Six Nations matches that went ahead at the weekend in Ireland's absence threw up plenty of fascinating talking points, writes Jonny Holland.

Rugby • 10 Mar 20

The future is bright with young provincial players

A lot of young stars are starting to take their opportunity in the Pro14, showing the strength of the Irish provinces at present.

Rugby • 03 Mar 20

'The other three provinces keep an eye on anybody that is not afforded game time in Leinster to pounce on an opportunity to sign them up but the reality is that there is loads of talent at home if we use them when the chances arise'

Munster must follow Leinster and give youth a chance

Munster's decision not to pick John Hodnett for the Pro14 match against Zebre was a strange call after the youngster had starred against Southern Kings, writes Jonny Holland.

Rugby • 25 Feb 20

'There are some subtle changes playing into the wind like having to hold on to the ball for long periods and finding a way to take the pace out of the game'

Finding the right tactics key in poor weather

Poor weather conditions require tactical changes and how teams adapt to the challenge is key to the winning and losing of th egame

Rugby • 18 Feb 20

'If Irish people really care about going further in a World Cup then maybe that will have to be good enough to develop the style of play under new management'

Forget a Grand Slam - Ireland need to develop new style

It wasn't perfect against Wales, but there was certainly enough to show things are moving in the right direction under Andy Farrell, writes Jonny Holland.

Rugby • 11 Feb 20

'Wales will come to Dublin with a stronger pack, in particular their back row, and a better ability to score tries than Scotland'

Ireland a work in progress ahead of stiffer Wales test

Despite a nervy win over Scotland, Ireland showed signs of attacking evolution in Andy Farrell's first game in charge and with some style tweaks could hurt Wales.

Rugby • 04 Feb 20

'The one thing Farrell doesn't want to do is make too many changes at once'

Farrell would be wise not to shed experienced names

Too often players have been retired in the minds of some of the public before the player has stopped adding value, writes Jonny Holland

Rugby • 21 Jan 20

'Not getting bonus points could prove costly in the standings'

Ulster & Munster pay price for lack of killer instinct

It was a disappointing weekend for three of the Irish provinces in Europe despite some positive performances, writes Jonny Holland.

Rugby • 14 Jan 20

"Munster did have some tricks up their sleeve but it all felt very much like pattern plays that aren't as hard to defend"

Why Munster struggled to stop Ulster's forward momentum

Jonny Holland compares and contrasts the forward momentum generated by his former province Munster and Leinster in their respective Guinness Pro14 games against Ulster and Connacht

Munster • 07 Jan 20

Jonny Holland has been impressed by Garry Ringrose's return to form since the Rugby World Cup

Tall order for Ulster to turn over in-form Leinster

Jonny Holland looks ahead to the festive inter-provincial derbies

Rugby • 20 Dec 19

Salzburg striker Erling Haaland could dump Liverpool out of the Champions League tonight

Recap: Your morning sports updates

Read back on all the sports news from this December Tuesday morning.

Other sport • 10 Dec 19

'If every out-half or goal-kicker tells you that they were always excited to be put on the spot at the end of the game then they are lying or part of a minority'

Cooney can prove his mettle & kick on in Six Nations

Ulster's John Cooney is thriving in pressure situations for his province. Could the 2020 Six Nations see his breakthrough on the international scene?

Rugby • 10 Dec 19

Lionel Messi won yet another Ballon d'Or last night

Recap: Your morning sports updates

Read back on all the latest sports news from this Tuesday December morning.

Other sport • 03 Dec 19

'Leinster's forward power does most of the damage'

Leinster in rude health as provinces prepare for Europe

Leinster showed that they have many strings to their bow ahead of the start of their Champions Cup campaign, writes Jonny Holland.

Rugby • 12 Nov 19

'Rassie managed Munster in its most difficult period to date with the passing of Axel Foley and he took it is his stride'

Rassie's back to basics approach is anything but basic

Having seen his own rugby career come to an end under the sympathetic gaze of Rassie Erasmus, Jonny Holland has a sense of how the Springboks coach transformed this team into World Cup winners

Rugby World Cup 2019 • 05 Nov 19

"England went out to do a job and put it up to New Zealand very early on."

Maybe the game needs England to go all the way

Jonny Holland casts his eye over two very different Rugby World Cup semi-finals and asks: would the game be better for an English win in the final?

Rugby • 29 Oct 19

'The reality of the Irish performances is that they simply weren't good enough'

Lack of development cost Ireland dearly in the end

Ireland's game didn't develop enough over the last year or two to give Rory Best and Joe Schmidt the send-off that they truly deserved, writes Jonny Holland

Rugby World Cup 2019 • 21 Oct 19