Ireland extended their record to 19th successive home success this afternoon, a victory that is a 40th win in the last 42 games at the Aviva Stadium, dating back to 2016.

It was the home side’s 10^th successive win against their Celtic neighbours, and their 71 in all since the two sides first met in Belfast in 1877.

Opening half lacked energy from Ireland

An opening half that was characterised by handling errors, Ireland look a pale version of the energetic side that began this Six Nations tournament a few weeks ago.

Finn Russell opened the scoring in the 143^rd test match between Ireland and Scotland with a penalty in the 8^th minute of the game. Russell was reliable as usual from the kicking tee and dissected the posts for the game’s opening score.

Sheehan fifth try of the tournament

Dan Sheehan scored his 5th try of this season’s Guinness Six Nations when being the grateful recipient from a line-out throw in. The Ireland hooker, crashed over for his 10th career test try to put Ireland into the lead for the first time in the game. A successful Jack Crowley conversion put the home side into a 7-3 lead with just 14 minutes on the clock.

𝐃𝐀𝐍 𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐄𝐇𝐀𝐍!

Steals a Scottish lineout and there’s no stopping him from there!#IREvSCO | #GuinnessSixNations pic.twitter.com/4Ki6rSM0iK

— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) March 16, 2024

Joe McCarthy conceded a penalty minutes later, his second of the game, and gave Russell an opportunity to bridge the gap, which he duly did with his second successful kick for the posts in the test match.

Jack Crowley had a penalty attempt from inside the Scottish half to extend the Irish lead with 5 minutes to play in the opening half, but the kicker’s effort went left and wide of the uprights.

Half-time: Ireland 7  Scotland 6.

With Ireland making an energetic start to the second half, Scotland were penalised on 42 minutes for being off their feet directly in front of the posts. Crowley had an easy task of slotting over to push Andy Farrell’s side into a 10-6 lead.

Officials deny Furlong a try

Tadhg Furlong looked to have added to the Ireland score-line approaching the 50 minute mark. The prop drove for the line, and though he initially looked to have touched down successfully for the score, the referee Matthew Carley stated the on-field decision was ‘no try’ as he went to his TMO for clarification. Despite the fact that Scotland’s Finn Russell seemed to be in an offside position, therefore preventing Furlong from scoring, the English referee maintained his original decision, much to the frustration of the home crowd.

Porter try secures Irish victory

Ireland went of a short penalty tap and succeed in crossing the try-scoring line, with Scotland having a man in the sin-bin. Despite incessant Irish pressure prior to that, they failed to achieve another score which might settle the result of this match. Andrew Porter scored his sixth international try to settle Irish nerves. The front-row burst through the Scottish defensive effort and with a successful conversion attempt from Jack Crowley, Ireland took a 17-6 advantage into the final 13 minutes of the test match.

𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘!

Ireland finally breach that brilliant Scottish defence through Andrew Porter!#IREvSCO | #GuinnessSixNations pic.twitter.com/ggSbILafcJ

— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) March 16, 2024

Scottish centre Huw Jones gave his side some late hope when racing in for a five-pointer with three minutes remaining on the clock. Russell added the extras to leave just four points between the sides, with an extra man on the pitch following the earlier sin-binning of Harry Byrne.

𝗜𝗧 𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗚𝗢𝗧 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚!

A piece of brilliance from Huw Jones gives Scotland a late try and move within four points!#IREvSCO | #GuinnessSixNations pic.twitter.com/RPdKB5dTB3

— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) March 16, 2024

Full-time: Ireland 17  Scotland 13

The post IRELAND WIN SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

With two tries in each half from the home side, and a perfect goal-kicking performance from Jack Crowley today, Andy Farrell’s men maintained their grip on this season’s Championship.

Wales’ only score of the game was a penalty try awarded by referee Andrea Piardi, but despite the final scoreboard, it was far from Ireland’s best performance under Farrell.

Ireland dominate territory and possession early on

Jack Crowley opened the scoring in the 6th minute of this Guinness Six Nations Championship game, the 125 time Ireland and Wales clashed in the Five/Six Nations Championship, when successfully kicking a penalty from 42m out.

With Ireland dominating territory (74%) and possession (69%) in the opening 15 minutes, the home side would not be happy to have only a penalty separating the sides at that stage of the game.

Fourth try of the Championship for Sheehan

Dan Sheehan, with three tries already in this season’s championship, added another when crashing over in the 20th minute. With Ireland successfully winning the line out, the green maul drove for the Welsh line, but with the defending side struggling to cope, Sheehan touched down for the five-pointer, much to the relief of the anxious Irish crowd.

Ireland have their first try on the board against Wales as Dan Sheehan powers over #IREvWAL #SixNations

Updates – https://t.co/yTLOjzwo3W
Watch live – https://t.co/XnOP6grnB7 pic.twitter.com/BpWHhzKobP

— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) February 24, 2024

Jack Crowley made it two successful kicks at the posts from two, as he added the conversion for a 10-0 advantage to Ireland.

James Lowe settles nervous Irish crowd

Winger James Lowe settled the nerves of the home crowd even further when scoring his 14th international try on 32 minutes.

Ireland had Wales under pressure for the preceding two minutes, with the men from the principality stoutly defending on their own line. Ireland had won the lineout but Wales held their line and forced the home side to go all the way right to Calvin Nash, before playing the ball back to the opposite wing to Lowe.

With only one defender to beat, Lowe easily touched the ball down, before Crowley maintained his 100% record at kicking for the posts this afternoon, dissecting the posts this time from a more difficult angle.

Ireland have tightened their grip on the match as they go 17-0 clear of Wales after James Lowe scores try number two #IREvWAL #SixNations

Updates – https://t.co/yTLOjzwo3W
Watch live – https://t.co/XnOP6grnB7 pic.twitter.com/BwGcrOKxrG

— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) February 24, 2024

With the extra two points added, Andy Farrell’s side were ahead 17-0 by the half-time break.

Half-time: Ireland 17 Wales 0

Penalty-try for Wales as Beirne sin-binned

Tadhg Beirne was sent to the sin bin in the 43rd minute as Wales drove for the Irish line. The Ireland number 5 was found guilty of illegally binding to prevent Wales progressing toward the home side’s line.

Referee Andrea Piardi, the first Italian to referee a Guinness Six Nations game, consulted with his TMO to see if Warren Gatland’s side had grounded the ball. With TV footage unclear of a successful grounding, the Italian awarded a penalty try to the visitors, reducing Ireland’s lead to 10 points.

First international try for Frawley

Ireland sucked in the Welsh defence on 67 minutes, allowing fullback Ciaran Frawley to race in for his first International try, on only his third senior International appearance. The UCD man found himself unmarked as he crossed the line and raced behind the post to score.

Jack Crowley had his easiest kick of the day, and his conversion put Ireland 24-7 ahead just over 10 minutes to play.

Ireland have got a third try and it’s Ciarán Frawley who gets over as Andy Farrell’s side establish a 24-7 lead over Wales #IREvWAL #SixNations

Updates – https://t.co/yTLOjzwo3W
Watch live – https://t.co/XnOP6grnB7 pic.twitter.com/kEKVMO3JkW

— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) February 24, 2024

James Ryan sat out the final 4 minutes of the game in the sin bin as Ireland conceded three consecutive penalties, with Wales camped on the Irish try-scoring line. Despite their best effort Warren Gatland’s side failed to score, with Cian Healy and Ronan Kelleher working in unison to hold up the Welsh-attempted touch down.

Bonus-point try for Tadhg Beirne

With Andy Farrell’s men in search of a fourth, and bonus-point try, Tadhg Beirne, who had been yellow carded earlier in the game, found himself at the end of a great team effort as he achieved the crucial score with the clock in red.

Crowley, who had been perfect kicking all afternoon, ended the game with another successful conversion, giving Ireland a 31-7 bonus-point victory over Wales.

FT: Ireland 31-7 Wales

Tadhg Beirne’s bonus-point try puts the icing on the cake for Ireland as Andy Farrell’s side make it three wins from three #SixNations #IREvWAL

Updates – https://t.co/yTLOjzwo3W
Watch live – https://t.co/XnOP6grnB7 pic.twitter.com/jNWXU1cDjT

— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) February 24, 2024

Ireland improve record against Wales

Ireland are now unbeaten at home against Wales in their last six Guinness Six Nations Championship fixtures, a new record, with wins in 2014, 2018, 2020 and 2022, and a draw in 2016.

Captain Peter O’Mahony feels Wales deserve plenty of credit for the way in which they stymied his side at times during the second half of Ireland’s 31-7 win #SixNations #IREvWAL

Updates – https://t.co/yTLOjzwo3W
Watch live – https://t.co/XnOP6grnB7 pic.twitter.com/Rody1Ig5pA

— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) February 24, 2024

The Irish team is now three wins from three in the 2024 Championship, and will head to Twickenham next to play England, before the final game against Scotland back in Dublin next month.

Full-time: Ireland 31 Wales 7

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Ireland won the Grand Slam at the Aviva Stadium this evening with a 29-16 victory over England. It is the country’s fourth time claiming the Grand Slam following wins in 1948, 2009 and 2018.

Two tries from Guinness Man of the Match Dan Sheehan were crucial in Ireland’s victory over England. In their final game of the 2023 Guinness Six Nations Championship, Ireland were made to work hard by England, who had only 14 men on the field for all of the second half, and 13 for the last minutes of the eighty.

The home side had begun slowly and the quiet muted atmosphere of the Aviva Stadium didn’t help Andy Farrell’s side.

The visitors took the lead through kicker Owen Farrell in the eight minute, as the number 10 comfortably slotted over his effort from directly in front of the Irish posts.

The son of the Ireland Head Coach doubled England’s lead minutes later with another three-pointer, leaving the English in a 6-0 lead with only 15 minutes on the clock.

The hosts finally got on the scoreboard in the 19^th minute when Jonathan Sexton kicked a penalty to make him the highest points’ scorer in Six Nations history, as the Dubliner reached the 560 mark.

History in the making

The moment Johnny Sexton went past Ronan O'Gara on the all-time #GuinnessSixNations points list.#IREvENG | #SuperSaturday pic.twitter.com/bD8xxoarb0

— Guinness Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) March 18, 2023

Ireland took the lead for the first time in the game on 33 minutes. Hooker Dan Sheehan fought off three English challenges to make his way over the try-scoring line to touchdown for the game’s first try. A Sexton conversion gave the hot-favourites a 10-6 advantage, with half-time approaching.

Dan Sheehan out of nowhere!

A perfect lineout move and Ireland get the try.#IREvENG | #SuperSaturday pic.twitter.com/Py0ORelUX3

— Guinness Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) March 18, 2023

With the clock in red England soon received a red as a tackle by Freddie Steward on Ireland’s fullback Hugo Keenan saw him leave the field for the remainder of the game, to be replaced by Juimmy O’Brien.

Ireland reached the half-time whistle with a 10-6 lead and a one-man advantage.

Half-time: Ireland 10 England 6.

Despite only having 14 men on the field for the second half of the game, England drew first blood. Farrell kicked his third successful penalty of the evening to leave just the bare minimum between the sides, Ireland 10 England 9.

With the Irish crowd becoming ever more nervous, Robbie Henshaw helped settle some of those anxieties. The centre broke through for Ireland’s second try of the game, as the action entered the final quarter. With Sexton maintaining his accuracy at kicking for the posts, the Irish talisman pushed his side out to a 15-9 lead, with 19 minutes to play.

A huge moment!@henshawrob slices through and Ireland edge further ahead.#IREvENG | #SuperSaturday pic.twitter.com/Kv8FOEdrRD

— Guinness Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) March 18, 2023

Dan Sheehan soon scored his second try of this Six Nations’ fixture as Andy Farrell’s men extended their advantage to 22-9, before Sexton added the extras for a 15-point lead.

Sheehan’s England counterpart, Jamie George, crashed over for the visitors only try of the game inside the final 10 minutes; with Farrell knocking over the conversion, it was 26-16 to the home side.

Replacement Rob Herring touched down for Ireland’s fourth five-pointer of the evening. Though Ross Byrne’s conversion attempt was a shade right of the upright, it meant the crowd, team and management could enjoy the remaining minutes in the knowledge that the victory, the Triple Crown, Championship and Grand Slam were all secured.

"I don't know what to say really!"

A special moment for Dan Sheehan #IREvENG | #SuperSaturday pic.twitter.com/SP4PnpxtGC

— Guinness Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) March 18, 2023

Full-time score: Ireland 29 England 16.

The post IRELAND WIN GRAND SLAM appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Leamy praised the side’s work all over the pitch to keep Scotland at bay.

However, he wished that they did not concede to Scotland, even if it was only once.

“I think, you know, we could have been a little bit better there on that particular try…[but for the] first day out, we [are] happy, and we understand that [Wales] is a different challenge and that there is a lot more growth in us,” Leamy said.

However, the momentum of the win is hugely important for this U20 side, as Leamy added.

The defence coach says it has allowed the side to kick on and move forward.

“Going back to my time in Six Nations squads; getting that first win, getting out of the blocks and that feel-good factor. You know, you are away from home – you are in hotels, you are cooped up a little bit – it just helps so much. It’s so important.”

The former Ireland flanker commended the front row and the back row for their U20 Six Nations opener performances.

Leamy stated that the starting front row against Scotland put in a massive shift while the back row could be seen everywhere.

Regardless, some changes have been made to the side facing Wales tonight with six new faces coming into the starting lineup, including two new props.

Leamy says that this is down to fatigue amongst other things.

“It’s about being sensible and about protecting players as well and using the quality that we have.”

The starting back row from the Scotland game is all on the team sheet but Alex Soroka will be at lock forward tonight.

Leamy noted the versatility of the Leinster academy product and when asked if he saw similarities to Ireland international Tadhg Beirne’s versatility, he responded positively.

The 39-year-old listed some traits that he felt underlined Soroka’s flexibility in the pack.

“Alex is similar – he’s very athletic, he’s a very good footballer, he’s a real point of difference as a jumper, he’s very strong in that lineout in both attack and defence.”

The coach loves his new role with the U20s and says it takes him back to when he was playing.

He cited the likes of Noel McNamara and Trevor Hogan as figures that he has learned a lot from since he was appointed as Leinster’s Elite Player Development Officer in 2019.

Leamy has taken what he has learned from them and his role at Leinster into the Ireland camp in Cardiff.

He encourages players to have the same mentality he did on the pitch but to carry out their tackles in a fair manner.

“We certainly do like players who have an edge and channel it in the right way.”

As for the Welsh side they face tonight, Leamy singled out one player who could make a difference for Ioan Cunningham’s team.

Carwyn Tuipolotu has caught the eye of the 57-time Ireland international ahead of the game tonight.

His stature and carrying is something that Leamy feels that his defence needs to shut down, but the Tipperary native also made note of Wales’ system.

“They can go to width, they can go through you, they can go over you so it’s a challenge, but it’s been a brilliant week and it’s been really, really good trying to prep for this challenge and it has been very, very enjoyable – all-in.”

The defence coach clarified that the whole camp has been an enjoyable experience thus far in his opinion.

Leamy feels lucky to be over in Cardiff with the squad after everything that has happened in the world.

He labelled the atmosphere as “light” and said that the squad have even gone for ice creams.

However, he noted that the personnel in the camp know why they are there.

“We’re not here for a party, we’re here to get the job done.”

The game against Wales kicks off at 8:00 pm and will be available to watch on RTÉ One.

The post Denis Leamy Confident of Ireland U20s Defence appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

The two teams will face each other at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh with kick-off at 3:00 pm.

Six Irish players are included in the starting XV – Iain Henderson, Tadhg Beirne, Jack Conan, Conor Murray, Bundee Aki and Robbie Henshaw. You can use your Coral Promo Code and back The Lions at 2/1 to win the tour in South Africa.

It is the highest amount of players in the XV from any of the four national teams of Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland.

Leinster prop Tadhg Furlong is on the bench, bringing the total of Irish players in the 23 to seven.

Tour Captain Alun Wyn Jones= takes the armband for the side’s first warm-up test.

Rory Sutherland and Zander Fagerson give a Scottish feel to the front row while the back row includes Beirne and Conan alongside Hamish Watson.

Conor Murray and Dan Biggar are the starting inside-back pairing with Irish centres Aki and Henshaw beside them.

Duhan Van Der Merwe, Josh Adams and Liam Williams round off the XV.

Furlong, Jamie George, Owen Farrell and Anthony Watson are among those on the bench.

The game will be available to watch on Channel 4 in Ireland and the UK with coverage starting at 2:15 pm.

British and Irish Lions 1888 Cup Squad

Backs

15. Liam Williams (Wales/Scarlets)

14. Josh Adams (Wales/Cardiff Blues)

13. Robbie Henshaw (Ireland/Leinster)

12. Bundee Aki (Ireland/Connacht)

11. Duhan Van Der Merwe (Scotland/Edinburgh)

10. Dan Biggar (Wales/Northampton Saints)

9. Conor Murray (Ireland/Munster)

Forwards

1. Rory Sutherland (Scotland/Edinburgh)
2. Ken Owens (Wales/Scarlets)
3. Zander Fagerson (Scotland/Glasgow Warriors)
4. Iain Henderson (Ireland/Ulster)
5. Alun Wyn Jones (Wales/Ospreys)
6. Tadhg Beirne (Ireland/Munster)
7. Hamish Watson (Scotland/Edinburgh)
8. Jack Conan (Ireland/Leinster)

Bench

16. Jamie George (England/Saracens)

17. Wyn Jones (Wales/Scarlets)

18. Tadhg Furlong (Ireland/Leinster)

19. Courtney Lawes (England/Northampton Saints)

20. Taulupe Faletau (Wales/Bath)

21. Ali Price (Scotland/Glasgow Warriors)

22. Owen Farrell (England/Saracens)

23. Anthony Watson (England/Bath)

Match Review

Chris Farrell opened Ireland’s account with a try after Yu Tamura’s early penalty. Japan responded when Michael Leitch touched down after the visitors mauled over for a try.

Stuart McCloskey then gave Ireland a 12-10 lead after Joey Carbery started an attack with a clever chip, but Japan continued to attack in waves and Timothy Lafaele got over after a free-flowing move.

Finlay Bealham responded for Ireland just before half-time with a try and they took a 19-17 lead into the break.

Siosaia Fifita was next to touch down after the break as Japan came out all guns blazing. It was tit-for-tat as Josh van der Flier then got an Ireland try to put Farrell’s men 26-24 ahead.

Jacob Stockdale was next to notch a try for Ireland but Japan rallied with a late try from Naoto Saito. A Joey Carbery penalty opened up an eight-point lead and Ireland held on for the win.

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Coombes is the youngest-ever recipient of the award at 23 years and 184 days after setting a club record for most tries in a season (15).

This includes four in his final outing of the season against Zebre.

The Skibbereen star averaged a try every 87 minutes in his 22 appearances this season, 17 of which were starts.

Coombes was devastating in attack with powerful ball-carrying but was equally effective in defence.

Often, he was Munster’s standout player in both aspects of the game with his work at the breakdown being unrivalled.

The future looks bright for the new Munster Men’s Player of the Year as he is set to earn his first Irish cap this summer.

Dorothy Wall – Munster Women’s Player of the Year

#WomensSixNations

Test try #⃣2⃣ in green for Dorothy Wall! #ShoulderToShoulder #IrishRugby pic.twitter.com/JPbKvfrzu5

— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) April 26, 2021

Dorothy Wall was the winner of the Munster Women’s Player of the Year award after her terrific season for the province.

The Munster back-rower, like her male counterpart, is a relentless defensive presence for the Red Army and is a fantastic ball-carrier too.

The Tipperary Titan starred in the interprovincial championship for the province and is a leader on the pitch.

Her performances for Adam Grigg’s Ireland side were factored into the decision to award her with the accolade due to government restrictions and limited activity across domestic rugby.

With only seven Ireland caps to her name at the moment, it is only a matter of time before that number skyrockets for the 21-year-old.

Craig Casey – Young Player of the Year

Craig Casey stood out alongside Gavin Coombes as one of the mens’ best players of the season.

The 22-year-old produced some spectacular performances in his 19 appearances and led by example in his 12 starts.

His three Player of the Match awards reflects this.

Casey kept the Munster attack ticking and manufactured a high-tempo style that led Munster to the Pro 14 final.

Casey made his Ireland debut in the Six Nations against Italy after his impressive club-level performances.

The Shannon RFC and Ardscoil Rís product will earn more caps this summer during the Vodafone Summer Series.

Ben Healy – John McCarthy Award for Greencore Academy Player of the Year

Ben Healy excelled in his second season as part of Munster’s Greencore Academy, earning 17 appearances for the senior side.

His season-opening 50-metre winner at Parc y Scarlets set the tone for an impressive season for the young fly-half.

His ability to kick from distance continued to stand out as an important asset for the province throughout the season.

The 21-year-old got his first senior contract in March after a stellar season and will be part of the senior squad next season.

The post Gavin Coombes Wins Munster Men’s Player of the Year Award appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

The agreement will ensure all three Six Nations Championships are shared between the two broadcasters.

It is envisaged that all three Championships will be shared in a balanced way. It will see RTÉ Sport again broadcast games from the Men’s Guinness Six Nations. Virgin Media Television will diversify its coverage to include the Women’s Six Nations and Men’s Under 20’s Championships.

Agreement Welcomed

Welcoming the news, Ben Morel, Chief Executive of Six Nations Rugby, said:

“I am delighted that we have agreed the principles of a unique three-party partnership with Virgin Media and RTÉ. They have chosen the Six Nations to build such a strong and compelling collaboration around all our competitions. It will be to the benefit of our sport, our unions and of Rugby fans in Ireland.”

Joining Morel in welcoming the news, Philip Browne, IRFU CEO, said,

“Rugby is a participation sport and one that has always, and will always, strive to ensure a balance between finance and exposure. It is a win-win for all involved.”

Mick McCaffrey, Head of News and Sport at Virgin Media Television said:

“Virgin Media Television are very excited about this historic agreement which guarantees that the Six Nations competitions will continue to be available to Irish rugby fans on Free-to-Air Television.”

Dee Forbes, Director-General, RTÉ, said of the agreement:

“This agreement represents a win for the Irish public as two broadcasters come together to deliver the Six Nations Tournaments Free-to-Air, to the widest possible audience in Ireland.”

The post RTÉ & Virgin Media to broadcast Guinness Six Nations appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Munster’s Craig Casey and Ulster’s Tom O’Toole have been named in the squad which will be captained by Jonathan Sexton.

Ireland have two fixtures at the Aviva Stadium in the 2021 Guinness Six Nations. They will host France in Round 2 and England on the final weekend of the Championship.

In Round 1 Ireland will take on Wayne Pivac’s Wales at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. Ireland’s first two fixtures of the 2021 Championships against Wales and France will both take place on Sunday afternoons.

Ireland’s third round fixture is at the Stadio Olimpico against Italy and in the penultimate round Ireland face Scotland at Murrayfield.

Ireland Head Coach Andy Farrell, commented on his squad selection said

“Since the Autumn international window the club season has had a good few disruptions and the cancellation of the European fixtures means there have been less opportunities for players to show form or to return from injury and get some minutes under their belts.

Tadhg (Furlong) hasn’t played in quite a while but he is ready to join the group. Unfortunately Jacob (Stockdale) will not be available to us.”

Ireland Squad 2021 Guinness 6 Nations Championships

Backs (17)

Bundee Aki (Connacht/Galwegians) 30 caps
Billy Burns (Ulster) 3 caps
Ross Byrne (Leinster/UCD) 11 caps
Craig Casey (Munster/Shannon) uncapped
Andrew Conway (Munster/Garryowen) 24 caps
Shane Daly (Munster/Cork Con) 1 cap
Keith Earls (Munster/Young Munster) 88 caps
Chris Farrell (Munster/Young Munster) 14 caps
Jamison Gibson Park (Leinster) 5 caps
Robbie Henshaw (Leinster/Buccaneers) 47 caps
Hugo Keenan (Leinster/UCD) 6 caps
Jordan Larmour (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 24 caps
James Lowe (Leinster) 2 caps
Stuart McCloskey (Ulster/Bangor) 4 caps
Conor Murray (Munster/Garryowen) 87 caps
Garry Ringrose (Leinster/UCD) 30 caps
Jonathan Sexton (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 95 caps CAPTAIN

Forwards (19)

Tadhg Beirne (Munster/Lansdowne) 17 caps
Will Connors (Leinster/UCD) 5 caps
Caelan Doris (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 7 caps
Ultan Dillane (Connacht/Corinthians) 17 caps
Tadhg Furlong (Leinster/Clontarf) 25 caps
Cian Healy (Leinster/Clontarf) 104 caps
Dave Heffernan (Connacht/Buccaneers) 5 caps
Iain Henderson (Ulster/Academy) 58 caps
Rob Herring (Ulster/Ballynahinch) 16 caps
Ronan Kelleher (Leinster/Lansdowne) 6 caps
Dave Kilcoyne (Munster/UL Bohemians) 39 caps
Peter O’Mahony (Munster/Cork Constitution) 73 caps
Tom O’Toole (Ulster/Banbridge) uncapped
Andrew Porter (Leinster/UCD) 32 caps
Quinn Roux (Connacht/Galwegians) 16 caps
Rhys Ruddock (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 26 caps
James Ryan (Leinster/UCD) 32 caps
CJ Stander (Munster/Shannon) 46 caps
Josh van der Flier (Leinster/UCD) 28 caps

Ireland 2021 Guinness Six Nations Fixtures

Wales v IRELAND
Principality Stadium, Cardiff
Sunday 7th February, KO 15.00
VIRGIN / BBC

IRELAND v France
Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Sunday 14th February, KO 15.00
VIRGIN / ITV

Italy v IRELAND
Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Saturday 27th February, KO 14.15
VIRGIN / ITV

Scotland v IRELAND
BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Sunday 14th March, KO 15.00
VIRGIN / BBC

IRELAND v England
Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Saturday 20th March, KO 16.45
VIRGIN / ITV

All Ireland games will be televised on Virgin in the Republic of Ireland and on ITV (v France, Italy & England) and BBC (v Wales & Scotland) in Northern Ireland.

The post Ireland Six Nations Squad Announced appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

The implications of COVID-19 on the world of sport have been stark. Many organizations are struggling financially without the attendance of fans to games. The latest competition under threat is the 2021 Six Nations, which is due to commence at the beginning of February.

The IRFU, along with fellow Unions from the Six Nations, have voiced their concerns over the impact of no fans, or a limited number of fans, may have on next year’s tournament. The English Rugby Football Union (RFU) have estimated a total loss of €65m if spectators are unable to attend their home matches due to COVID restrictions.

Compare this season to the 2018/19 campaign, when the IRFU reported their highest annual income of €87.5m. It is a bleak sign of the times and highlights the importance of the Six Nations to Irish Rugby along with the rest of the nations.

In recent weeks there were plans for a limited numbers of fans to be in attendance at sporting fixtures here in Ireland, as well as in the UK. But the number of current COVID cases has risen leading to a further delay in said plans for the incorporation of fans on match day.

On the back of these reported discussions, Ben Morel, the Six Nations chief executive, reiterated that “we need fans back. We are not about to announce that we are doing this [a delay], but it is one of the options that is there.”

A final decision has yet to be made. In these uncertain times, it is difficult to pinpoint when fans will be back in attendance. However, there is no question that the resultant financial constraints are weighing heavier and heavier on sporting organizations across the globe.

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Once again the front row has a familiar look to it. Cian Healy and Tadhg Furlong pack down either side of Rob Herring. The Ulsterman has nailed down the role of starting hooker after taking over from his fellow clubmate Rory Best. Leinster youngster Ronan Kelleher’s time will come.

Another Ulsterman Iain Henderson retains the number 4 jersey alongside James Ryan. The back row once again is made up of O’Mahony, van der Flier and Stander.

Johnny Sexton and Conor Murray continue their experienced half-back pairing. Murray has weathered the storm surrounding the clamour for  John Cooney to get the starting role. The Munster scrum-half impressed against the Welsh. At stages during the second half, he looked back to his best.

Bundee Aki and Robbie Henshaw have over five years experience alongside each other and their performance against the Welsh more than made up for the loss of Garry Ringrose. Out wide Stockdale seems to be getting back to his best and Andrew Conway was superb last time out. Jordan Larmour continues to shine in the role of fullback.

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