Munster blown away and bullied out of Challenge Cup by rampant Exeter Under pressure from a physically dominant home side, Munster coughed up 31 points in the first half at Sandy Park

Munster chose to play into the wind at Sandy Park.

31 points later, they had it at their backs. But the contest was over.

Report from Sandy Park ⬇️

www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/...

Kicking is on the way down – does that explain the rise in tries? The number of kicks in open play dropped for five of the six teams, Ireland bizarrely the only exception as their kick volume remained unchanged

Often rugby fans' biggest bugbear, kicking fell dramatically as the Six Nations progressed

Every side pretty much kicked less this year than last. Anti-kickites will say that explains the record-breaking try scoring, but is it that simple?

Analysis ⬇️

www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/...

Kicking is on the way down – does that explain the rise in tries? The number of kicks in open play dropped for five of the six teams, Ireland bizarrely the only exception as their kick volume remained unchanged

Often rugby fans' biggest bugbear, kicking fell dramatically as the Six Nations progressed

Every side pretty much kicked less this year than last. Anti-kickites will say that explains the record-breaking try scoring, but is it that simple?

Analysis ⬇️

www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/...

How Ireland’s set-piece detail returned with a vengeance against Scotland Irish attack has showed variety by going back to its roots with a strong set-piece after counter-attacking flourish at Twickenham

Ireland hadn’t scored off a set-piece strike since Italy 2025

That changed on Saturday, Andrew Goodman and Paul O’Connell earning their supper

Improving transition attack has been a focus in the 6N, but Sat saw the return of the old Irish set play.

Analysis ⬇️
www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/...

How Ireland’s set-piece detail returned with a vengeance against Scotland Irish attack has showed variety by going back to its roots with a strong set-piece after counter-attacking flourish at Twickenham

Ireland hadn’t scored off a set-piece strike since Italy 2025

That changed on Saturday, Andrew Goodman and Paul O’Connell earning their supper

Improving transition attack has been a focus in the 6N, but Sat saw the return of the old Irish set play.

Analysis ⬇️
www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/...

☘️ clinical edge + disruption vs 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 profligacy

Defenders Beaten - ☘️ 23 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 27
Points per 22 entry - ☘️ 4.7 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 3
Handling errors -☘️5 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 9
Turnovers conceded - ☘️10 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿14
Kicking metres - ☘️535 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿495
Quick ruck ball - ☘️58 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿35%

Borthwick ball and Ireland’s defence: Three charts reveal interesting tactical trends from Six Nations Statistics show how Ireland and other teams are adapting their Six Nations game plan midway through a World Cup cycle

Per Opta, Ireland's expected goal kicking success is 83.8%

The actual figure is 74.3%

Therefore, Ireland have been the worst goal-kicking side in the comp so far

Explored this and a few other surprising trends of the 6N so far for @irishtimes.com ⬇️

www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/...

A good look by @nathanrjohns.bsky.social at how Ireland's new attack shape kicked on at the weekend.

Ever since Andrew Goodman said he wanted Ireland to be better on transition, we’ve tracked progress

Twickenham was Irelands best counter attack display of this cycle

Where France go sans structure, Ireland turned transition into another set-piece

Analysis ⬇️

www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/...

Thanks Nick, hope all well

Come join us on TMS!

The odd one looked ok. It reminded me of losing to wales 2021. Some phase play stuff had promise, but rarely did it click. Farrell gambling that the same cycle repeats itself

I don’t think it’s about kick chase per we. Schmidts Ireland were good at that for instance. It’s what happens after. Ireland don’t have the decision makers (bar SP, who doesn’t have Jalibert/Ramos’ athleticism). Probably don’t have enough of the right athletes either

Analysis: Right now, Ireland’s game plan does not suit its players Ireland do not yet look comfortable embracing a greater focus on kicking and transition attack

Joe Schmidt was criticised towards the end of his Ireland tenure for not evolving his game plan

Andy Farrell, circa 18 months out from a World Cup, is experiencing just how hard evolution is

Thoughts from Paris ⬇️

www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/...

With the boot, or with ball in hand – Antoine Dupont remains an inevitable force Making his international return for the first time in 11 months, France’s superstar forced the game to unfold according to his will.

None of the trademark support lines or mesmeric ball in hand moments from Antoine Dupont.

Instead, he found other ways to bend the game to his will.

Analysis from Stade de France ⬇️

www.the42.ie/antoine-dupo...

Six Nations: One statistic will define Ireland’s opener against France on Thursday, and the whole tournament Two metrics reveal which Six Nations teams are built for modern rugby – and where Ireland must improve

Ireland's XV (back 3 in particular) points to their goal of getting better at counterattack

France, with their Bordeaux influence (paging Noel McNamara), are the transition gold standard

How do Ireland get better? Embrace the zero-ruck try

Analysis ⬇️

www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/...

The Jacques Nienaber conundrum: What’s going on with Leinster’s defence? A fascinating dynamic is at work in the province’s Champions Cup campaign as more and more opponents find ways to exploit Leinster’s imperfections

Leinster are conceding almost a full converted try more per game this season compared to last

Are flaws in Jacques Nienaber’s system leading to fissures, or is something else going wrong?

Analysis ⬇️

www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/...

News confirmed, King to captain Ireland.

No co-captains

McMahon is out with a long term knee injury but Monaghan is still with the squad

Sounds like Erin King is to be announced as Ireland captain ahead of the Six Nations

Aged 22, she only debuted for Ireland (in 15s) in 2024

Named World Rugby breakthrough player that same year

Edel McMahon and Sam Monaghan were co-captains at the World Cup

Rory Best on how Ulster have turned things around The Counter Ruck Podcast

Interview time on the @IrishTimesSport rugby podcast

Rory Best, an ex-Ireland captain under Joe Schmidt, is now general manager at Ulster

What does a GM actually do, and how have Ulster become Irish rugby's good news story?

Listen ⬇️

www.irishtimes.com/podcasts/the...

‘The skill level is so much better’: AIL’s rise opens the door to the professional game for club players The perception that the league is a ‘graveyard’ for young players eyeing professional careers ‘is changing’, says Clontarf’s Dylan Donnellan

In the last few years, more AIL players have stepped up to provincial rugby

Conor Bartley at Munster
Bradley McNamara at Ulster
Jerry Cahir, Bobby Sheehan, Ivan Soroka and Dylan Donnellan at Leinster

Why are more clubmen getting chances at pro level?

www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/...

Tadhg Beirne: ‘The style of the game has gone backwards’ Munster forward would prefer if rugby had more flow after defeat to Leinster in scrappy affair

Interesting stylistic clash on Saturday night which dominated the post-match press chat

Munster are raging against rugby's trend of kicking and set-piece battles.

Leinster want to be more creative but think it's naive.

Who is right?

www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/...

Leinster show grit to beat Munster in scrappy URC clash at Thomond Park Josh van der Flier shines in game lacking in attacking quality but full of physicality and niggle

Grit and niggle aplenty, but enough quality to give punters their money's worth?

Report from Thomond ⬇️

www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/...

Cold but 🔥

Bonus-point win for Munster as they get job done against Ospreys Entertainment was in short supply in Wales, with both sides lacking quality

Bonus-point win for Munster as they get job done against Ospreys

www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/...

Bridgend tonight

Ospreys vs Munster, Brewery Field

Old school club ground

For @irishtimes.com

Below-par Leinster grind out win against Leicester in Champions Cup Tries from Jamison Gibson-Park and Dan Sheehan meant the Irish province left Welford Road with four points

If Leinster go on to win Europe, this is the type of performance that will be painted as a gritty, vital win

For now, tho, all that can be said is they still look well below par

Report from welford road ⬇️

www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/...

'I don’t know how much longer I would have been comfortable just playing in URC games and never in Europe' The former Leinster wing speaks to Nathan Johns about his move to Gloucester and lessons learned about injury.

Given the wider conversation on lack pace in Irish rugby, Rob Russell’s claim to be the fastest man in Leinster last year caught the eye

But he couldn’t stay fit and Leinster ultimately let him go

Spoke to Rob about life in Gloucester, injury woe and the need for speed ⬇️

the42.ie/6897219

'I was a late developer' - Joshua Kenny's unorthodox route to Leinster's first team Kenny charts his path to the URC, via athletics, sevens and the AIL.

According to the Leinster website, Joshua Kenny is 6'3 and 100kg. Add to that his yard of pace

Not many wings with that profile in Irish rugby

Regardless of how far he goes, Kenny's story of landing on his feet after 7s was culled is worth highlighting ⬇️

www.the42.ie/joshua-kenny...

1) not really dealing with my point about disingenuous use of quotes

2) Mike’s point is he’d like to see Ireland change a few things (be cuter essentially, esp in your clip) but Saturdays disaster is an outlier. I don’t think that’s too objectionable