Category: Provinces
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Ulster Ready To Pounce As URC’s Sleeping Giant
Richie Murphy’s men have the quality and momentum to make surprising playoff push Cohesion and continuity. These are two of the biggest buzzwords in rugby in 2024, which seemed to have crept up out of nowhere to gain a stranglehold on discourse. Maybe we over rely on them in a cliched manner, or perhaps they…
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Systems Enhancements Needed For Connacht’s Play-Off Push
Thomond Thumping Showed Noticeable Cracks in Connachts Armour Some say life before the Covid-19 pandemic was a simpler time. That certainly holds true when it comes to the URC, and formerly the Pro14. The intrigue, drama and competitiveness of the league’s newest iteration is long overdue and much loved. Or at least it is until…
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Leinster Player Ratings As They Return to Another Final
15 years apart but the same result. Leinster victors in Croke Park If there is a Croke Park factor, then it only affected one team. After a nervy start proved a leveller, Cullen and Nienaber’s Leinster kicked into gear to run out strong winners at HQ. Toulouse or Harlequins stand in their way in Spurs…
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Europe’s Finest Rivalry Set for Dublin Date with Destiny (Again)
The European Cup in its various guises has a habit of reforming and evolving, but with similar plotlines. By luck or design, every great sporting competition the world over has a litany of enthralling rivalries. The Heineken Cup had many, including Munster and Leinster’s friendly feuds with Clermont, Racing and Toulouse. Funnily enough, most of…
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Provinces Back on the European Road as Knock-Out Rugby Returns
There’s something mystical about the sporting calendar in April. We all love the cold winter nights in packed out terraces, but that’s because the reward is even better. The days are getting longer, the weather is trying to get warmer, the television is overrun with live sport, and I for one could not be happier. …
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Dublin Finally Hosts European Finals Again, & We Are Set For A Classic Weekend
The year is 2013. Clare won just their fourth hurling All Ireland, Sir Alex Ferguson guided Man United to Premier League glory for the final time, and Lansdowne Road hosted a Heineken Cup final for the first time in a decade. This writer started secondary school later that year also. Within two years, the Heineken…
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Rare Aviva Elation for Munster as They Shock Leinster in Classic SF
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. May 24th, 2008. Munster have reached their summit, their holy grail. They join the elites in winning multiple European cups. Toulouse was the worthy adversary, but were defeated. On the field, Denis Leamy scored the all important try. In the stand, this writer, only 7 at the time, stands in shock. That…
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Miracles or Favourites? URC Semi’s Promises Stories, Excitement and Home Comforts
The second season of the URC has been nothing short of entertaining. The usual question marks surrounding competitiveness will linger, but when you look at our four semi finalists, you could make a compelling counter argument. There are three Irish provinces and one South African franchise. Leinster top the bill. They’ve only lost a single…