BETWEEN FORM AND fitness, it has been a frustrating time of late for Cian Healy but the Leinster prop is determined to seize his opportunity tonight and lay down a marker ahead of the Six Nations. The 29-year-old prop has fallen behind Jack McGrath in the pecking order at provincial level this season but will Read more about Healy hungry to make his mark for Leinster as Six Nations comes into focus[…]

AFTER A LANDMARK victory over South Africa in November, Italy head coach Conor O’Shea has urged his players to back it up during the upcoming Six Nations and end the debate over relegation and promotion. The former Harlequins boss guided Italy to a historic first-ever win over a southern hemisphere nation at the end of last Read more about Conor O’Shea urges Italy to end debate over Six Nations relegation and promotion[…]

Chris Carey’s try was the icing on the cake for Michael’s. Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO St Michael’s College 23St Gerard’s College 0 ST MICHAEL’S BOOKED their place in the second round of the Leinster Schools Senior Cup in abysmal conditions in Donnybrook on Thursday afternoon. The teams played out a scoreless first half in driving wind Read more about St Michael’s battle the wind, rain and St Gerard’s to secure Leinster Senior Cup win[…]

Note: The clips in this article will only loop in The42 app, and not on web browsers. EVERYTHING WE ANALYSE in Ireland’s defeat in Murrayfield must be linked back to the mental malaise that seemed to overcome Joe Schmidt’s side on Saturday. Their decision-making lacked clarity, they appeared distracted at times, there was a muddiness Read more about Analysis: Basic folding and spacing problems cause Ireland’s defence failures[…]

It may go down as one of the finest Super bowl plays of all time…Julian Edelman of the New England Patriots makes THAT catch in Houston last Sunday. Source: Patrick Semansky The sport of kings…a great action shot from the Eric And Lucy Papworth Chase at Market Rasen Racecourse. Source: Mike Egerton Francesco Totti will Read more about It’s Sunday so here are 10 of our favourite images from the sporting week[…]

Women’s All-Ireland League Round 12 Source: James Crombie/INPHO Blackrock 36 – 24 Cooke – Stradbrook Galwegians 7 – 12 Railway Union RFC – Crowley Park Highfield 12 – 0 St Mary’s – Woodleigh Park Old Belvedere 14 – 29 UL Bohemians – Anglesea Road By Aisling Crowe GAME OF THE weekend was surely the clash of sixth versus seventh Read more about Bohs well on track for unbeaten season while 10-try bottom of the table clash is pick of the weekend[…]

SECOND-HALF TRIES by Tommy Seymour and his fellow wing Tim Visser helped Scotland end their 10-year losing streak against Wales with a 29-13 victory at Murrayfield this afternoon. Finn Russell scored the remainder of Scotland’s points after landing all seven of his shots at the posts. Victory kept Scotland in the hunt for the Six Nations Read more about Sensational Scotland keep Triple Crown hopes alive with first win over Wales since 2007[…]

FORMER SPRINGBOK JACO Taute said he is thrilled to have extended his stay with Munster but is no rush to sort out his future. Taute came to Munster initially on a four-month deal while former All Black Francis Saili was injured but that has been extended from the start of January to the end of Read more about Taute loving life at Munster but in no hurry to sort out his future[…]

IT WAS A freezing January morning when the call came. “I was on my way to work. I had come back into my house because the car had frozen so I boiled the kettle to defrost it. The phone rang and it was Ciaran Fitzgerald”. Rob Saunders was just 22. A scrum-half, he had come Read more about ‘The hardships you’ve gone through, the sacrifices…that moment crystallises everything’[…]

KIERAN MARMION IS too nice a guy to let on that he proved a point to anyone amid Ireland’s defeat to Wales on Friday night. But his performance in the cauldron of the Principality Stadium was a shining silver lining on what was an otherwise murky night in Cardiff. The Connacht scrum-half was belatedly introduced Read more about ‘To get experience in those situations is great’: Marmion ready to build after impressing in Cardiff[…]