Rugby Union

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell said there were “no excuses” for his side’s 23-13 defeat by New Zealand. Ireland had won their past 19 home games, and had lost just once at Aviva Stadium since round one of the 2019 Six Nations, but they were deservedly beaten in a game …

New Zealand captain Scott Barrett says he “took exception” to Ireland lock Joe McCarthy in the All Blacks’ 23-13 win in Dublin. Barrett squared up to McCarthy early in the match after he felt the Irish player had “cleaned up” fly-half Damian McKenzie while he was on the ground after …

Ireland: Keenan; Hansen, Ringrose, Aki, Lowe; Crowley, Gibson-Park; Porter, Kelleher, Bealham; McCarthy, Ryan; Beirne, Van der Flier, Doris (capt). Replacements: Herring, Healy, O’Toole, Henderson, O’Mahony, Murray, Frawley, Osborne. New Zealand: Jordan; Tele’a, Ioane, J Barrett, Clarke; McKenzie, Ratima; Williams, Aumua, Lomax, S Barrett (capt), Vaa’i, Sititi, Cane, Savea. Replacements: Bell, …

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Borthwick has made changes in the hope his finishers can match up to the job description. All-brawn Luke Cowan-Dickie comes into the squad in place of all-court Theo Dan. The six-two split on the bench between forwards and backs has been abandoned in favour of a more conventional five-three split, …

Cornish Pirates joint-head coach Alan Paver says the Premiership Rugby Cup is great for his side, despite their poor start. Pirates conceded 10 tries as Exeter cruised to a 68-7 win at the Mennaye in their opening game last week. They face a second Premiership outfit in as many weeks …

The message has been clear from Ireland all week: when they face New Zealand on Friday, revenge will not be on the menu. Hugo Keenan said it last week from the pleasant climes of the Algarve, Ireland’s second home, and Andy Farrell repeated it when he spoke to reporters in …

Maybe because Opoku-Fordjour does not fit the old tight-head mould, he has also appeared on the opposite side of the scrum. While he plays tight-head for Sale, he switched to loose-head for England Under-20s, where Gloucester’s Afolabi Fasogbon and Bath’s Vilikesa Sela give England mammoth depth at three. The trio …

Exeter Chiefs head coach Susie Appleby has hailed her side’s second-half showing as they beat Saracens 29-12 in their top-of-the-table clash in Premiership Women’s Rugby. Having led 17-12 at the interval the Chiefs kept Saracens scoreless after the break at Sandy Park as they got a fifth win from five …

England hope Ollie Lawrence’s switch to outside centre against Australia will enable the Bath star to bring his ball-carrying power to the fore on Saturday. The 25-year-old started at inside centre in England’s opening Autumn Nations Series defeat by New Zealand, but has been instrumental in Bath’s rise to the …

Ireland host New Zealand on Friday in their opening autumn Test match. To whet your appetite, former Ireland wing Andrew Trimble looks back on their historic win over the All Blacks in Chicago in 2016. The 40-29 victory ended Ireland’s 111-year wait for a win over New Zealand. READ: All …

Part of Thompson’s remit was trying to keep young Wallaby prospects in the XV-player game. Ultimately, in Suaalii’s case, it proved impossible. Suaalii was on the books of South Sydney Rabbitohs before switching to the Roosters, where he made the NRL’s team of the year in 2022, while still a …

Rugby league convert Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii will start in the centres for Australia against England on Saturday at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium in his first professional rugby union game. The 21-year-old former Sydney Roosters wing or centre recently switched from league in a three-year deal reportedly worth A$5.35m (£2.7m). Suaalii, who played …

Speaking for the first time since Mouneimne’s departure, Baxter said the decision to part way was “amicable”. The former Worcester Warriors and Bristol Bears coach has been at Sandy Park since the summer of 2022, joining a group of long-serving coaches that have been at the club for, in the …

Antoine Dupont has returned “better than ever” to XVs after winning Olympic sevens gold in the summer, says France flanker Francois Cros. Scrum-half Dupont, 27, has been named captain for France’s opening Autumn Nations Series game against Japan on Saturday, in his first game in international XVs since his side’s …

Robertson said his time in Newtownards was important for his maturation as a player and person, but also in imprinting upon him the need to pursue education alongside his rugby career. After tagging along with Ards team-mates to lectures at Queen’s University Belfast, a stipulation in Robertson’s first Crusaders playing …

All Black Will Jordan is backing team-mate Damian McKenzie to deliver against Ireland in the Aviva Stadium on Friday night. The 29-year-old will start in the visitor’s ten jersey in Dublin after Beauden Barrett picked up an injury in their win over England last week. “It’s exciting. Damian is someone …

Doris’ ascension to Ireland captain follows a similar change at his club with Leinster boss Leo Cullen promoting him in September after James Ryan and Garry Ringrose shared leadership duties during the 2023-24 season. Naturally, the 26-year-old is being talked about as a candidate for the British and Irish Lions …

New Zealand have made two changes for Friday night’s encounter against Ireland in Dublin. Both are enforced, with Damian McKenzie replacing Beauden Barrett at fly-half, while hooker Asafo Aumua comes in for Codie Taylor. Beauden Barrett and hooker Taylor were ruled out of the Aviva Stadium game following injuries sustained …

Flanker Henry Pollock and props Afolabi Fasogbon and Vilikesa Sela have been named in the England A squad to face Australia A. The young trio were involved in the England Under-20 team’s World Cup victory this year. Pollock, 19, plays for Northampton Saints and can also feature as a number …