Interview
Getting to know: New Zealand U20s lock Liam Jack
Graham Jack, the lanky lock’s father, was a 1998 Super Rugby champion playing in the Crusaders engine room.
Liam Heagney
12 Jul 2024, 2:36
Contributors
Liam Heagney
@heagneyl
A seasoned rugby journalist, Liam hails from Limerick and has covered World Cups, Lions tours, Six Nations Championships and European Cup campaigns since 2000. He became a content editor at RugbyPass in 2019 after joining from the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday in Ireland.
Interview
The 'silver lining' Wales have taken from latest U20s loss to France
A year ago, 19-43 was the margin of defeat which left them contesting the fifth to eighth placings on match day four. That 24-poin…
Liam Heagney
10 Jul 2024, 4:20
Interview
The 'so perfect' France reaction to keeping alive U20s title defence
Any suggestion that their last-gasp defeat to New Zealand last Thursday had loosened their grip on the trophy they have won for th…
Liam Heagney
10 Jul 2024, 4:00
Interview
Bafana Nhleko: 'South Africa fans have every right to be upset'
His team not only needed to beat England in the puddles of Athlone but they also had to win by a margin wide enough so that the ma…
Liam Heagney
10 Jul 2024, 3:45
Interview
Joe Bailey: From 'horrible' to 'everyone singing, dancing, hugging'
The World Rugby U20 Championship Pool C fixture on the Cape Flats had been deadlocked since the 51st-minute and the Exeter lock ha…
Liam Heagney
10 Jul 2024, 3:31
An 86th-minute try clinches England U20s the win over South Africa
Repeated infringing from the Junior Boks, which included the yellow carding of Divan Fuller, meant the match continued level until…
Liam Heagney
09 Jul 2024, 15:13
U20 champions France see off Wales to keep their title defence alive
With Pool A leaders New Zealand expected to run up a big score in the 7pm kick-off in Stellenbosch and progress with a total of 15…
Liam Heagney
09 Jul 2024, 12:46
World Rugby statement: The Ireland-Australia U20s match cancellation
The teams were set to kick-off at 2pm local time in a match to decide who would finish top of Pool B and advance to next Sunday’…
Liam Heagney
09 Jul 2024, 10:47
The Ireland U20s verdict on making semi-final without playing Australia
The Irish, who had nine points after two matches, were due to take on Australia, who had six points, on Tuesday in the final round…
Liam Heagney
09 Jul 2024, 10:08
Live blog: World Rugby U20 Championship 2024 in Cape Town – Day Three
While the schedule in South Africa is officially listed as the final round of the pool stage, it’s essentially the quarter-final…
Liam Heagney
09 Jul 2024, 5:57
Interview
Getting to Know: England U20s lock Junior Kpoku
Kpoku was given a dice roll as an in-camp forfeit and rolling a six meant dying his hair or getting a buzz. The upside was that wh…
Liam Heagney
09 Jul 2024, 3:14
Analysis
Four World Rugby U20 Championship match day three talking points
Wales versus defending champions France in Pool A is essentially a play-off to decide who clinches the single best runner-up spot …
Liam Heagney
09 Jul 2024, 2:48
Analysis
World Rugby U20 Championship match day three game-by-game guide
Three matches are scheduled for Athlone: Ireland-Australia (2pm local time), France-Wales (4:30pm) and South Africa-England (7pm).…
Liam Heagney
08 Jul 2024, 8:35
The ‘slow poison’ that Rassie Erasmus loved about his Springboks
Only Pieter-Steph du Toit and Kwagga Smith from the starting pack remained on the field with the match delicately poised at 13-8 i…
Liam Heagney
07 Jul 2024, 10:20
Rassie Erasmus claims beating Ireland wasn’t ‘monkey off the back win'
Before this weekend’s 27-20 win in Pretoria, the Springboks had lost their last three encounters with Ireland, losing in Dublin …
Liam Heagney
07 Jul 2024, 7:36
The reason why Andy Farrell believes Ireland can level Test series
The reigning Guinness Six Nations champions never got going in Pretoria until it was too late, losing 20-27 at Loftus Versfeld and…
Liam Heagney
07 Jul 2024, 6:52
England statement: Call-up for uncapped prop Emmanuel Iyogun
Marler’s early exit resulted in a Test debut for his Harlequins teammate Fin Baxter, who didn’t let his side down in his maide…
Liam Heagney
07 Jul 2024, 3:30
Exclusive
Asher Opoku-Fordjour: 'You want to be the one that dominates'
Marler is not alone in liking the look of Asher Opoku-Fordjour. Alex Sanderson, the youngster’s boss at the Sharks, is constantl…
Liam Heagney
07 Jul 2024, 2:36
Analysis
Kwagga Smith and three other South Africa vs Ireland talking points
Despite knocking around at altitude for over a week, Ireland were flat for far too long a stretch on the high veldt while South Af…
Liam Heagney
07 Jul 2024, 2:31
Analysis
Ireland player ratings versus South Africa – Castle Lager Test One
After all the talk, South Africa’s big day finally arrived and they had their chance to avenge last September’s Rugby World Cu…
Liam Heagney
06 Jul 2024, 14:28
