Northern Edition

News

FEATURED ARTICLES

Ian Cameron

43-year-old Ma'a Nonu scores first try for Toulon in 7 years

Ma’a Nonu rolled back the years on Saturday night, scoring a late try as Toulon thumped Castres 52–23 in a Top 14 play-off at Stade Mayol to book their place in the semi-finals.

Mark Orders

Adam Beard: 'It’s a bit clichéd, but you only have one life. You want to experience things.'

The 58-cap Welsh second-row is leaving Wales for the South of France with few regrets and fond memories of his time with the Ospreys

Fixtures & Results

FIXTURES & RESULTS

British & Irish Lions

British & Irish Lions

British & Irish Lions

Fri Jun 20

2:00pm

Argentina

Argentina

Top 14

Toulouse

Toulouse

Fri Jun 20

2:05pm

Bayonne

Bayonne

Super Rugby Pacific

Crusaders

Crusaders

Sat Jun 21

2:05am

Chiefs

Chiefs

Top 14

Toulon

Toulon

52 - 23

Castres

Castres

United Rugby Championship

Leinster

Leinster

32 - 7

Bulls

Bulls

Gallagher Premiership

Bath

Bath

23 - 21

Leicester

Leicester

Penarol claim Super Rugby Americas with win over Dogos

Leinster end hunt for silverware with URC win over Bulls

Women's Rugby

Women's Internationals

South Africa Women

South Africa Women

Sat Jul 5

6:30am

Canada Women

Canada Women

Women's Internationals

South Africa Women

South Africa Women

Sat Jul 5

6:30am

Canada Women

Canada Women

Women's Internationals

Trinidad and Tobago Women

Trinidad and Tobago Women

Fri Jun 27

7:00pm

Mexico Women

Mexico Women

Women's Internationals

Brazil Women

Brazil Women

58 - 7

Colombia Women

Colombia Women

Women's Internationals

Jamaica Women

Jamaica Women

71 - 7

Trinidad and Tobago Women

Trinidad and Tobago Women

Women's Internationals

Japan Women

Japan Women

63 - 5

Hong Kong Women

Hong Kong Women

Sarah Hunter on motherhood: 'Abbie Ward has been a real inspiration'

Black Ferns reveal 2025 Rugby World Cup jersey

Select Edition

Northern Northern

Southern Southern

Global Global

New Zealand New Zealand

France France

21 - 14

FT

20 - 3

FT

37 - 17

FT

23 - 21

FT

32 - 7

FT

52 - 23

FT

Ireland update: Replacement named for the injured Tom Ahern

By Liam Heagney

23 Jan 2024

Tom Ahern exits last Saturday's Munster versus Northampton game (Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

Rookie Tom Ahern has missed out on the chance to learn the Test-level ropes with Ireland as he has dropped out of the squad that Andy Farrell will take with him to Portugal ahead of next week’s Guinness Six Nations opener away to France.

ADVERTISEMENT

Farrell last week named a 34-strong squad for a title defence that begins in Marseille on February 2. Three training panelists – Ahern and fellow uncapped players Oli Jager and Sam Prendergast – were also included for this Wednesday’s trip to Quinta do Lago.

Ahern, though, was kept overnight in hospital in Limerick last Saturday following Munster’s Investec Champions Cup defeat to Northampton after he was on the receiving end of red-carded play from Curtis Langdon – a knee to the head at a ruck.

Richard Cockerill on the Georgian coaching opportunity

Richard Cockerill on the Georgian coaching opportunity

He will now miss linking up with Farrell’s Ireland and his place has been taken by Connacht’s Cian Prendergast.

A statement read: “Cian Prendergast will replace Tom Ahern in the Ireland travelling squad for this week’s training camp in Portugal. Wishing Tom a speedy recovery as he continues his rehabilitation with Munster.”

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Comments

0 Comments

Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free

Latest Features

LONG READ

Adam Beard: 'It’s a bit clichéd, but you only have one life. You want to experience things.'

The 58-cap Welsh second-row is leaving Wales for the South of France with few regrets and fond memories of his time with the Ospreys

LONG READ

Marco van Staden: 'I was told my career was done, but everything happens for a reason'

The Bok powerhouse came close to retiring on medical grounds, but is primed for another Bulls tilt at the URC crown.

LONG READ

‘The RPL is a massive opportunity for rugby in India, Asia and the global game at large’

With 30 of the world’s best Sevens players, India's Rugby Premier League aims to replicate the success of cricket's IPL.

Comments on RugbyPass

A

AA 8 minutes ago

Family connection was a factor in Joe Ford appointment at Sale

To improve Sales threat .

Planet rugby assessment of G.ford in the semis was ,”Big games show up his lack of threat with ball in hand,”

Yet again he was unable to stand up and make a difference .

Get him to go UP the pitch instead of crabbing sideways. He only does one of 2 things. Pass or kick . And wave his arms about at others.

Never tries to go through gaps and set up possibilities.

To watch Russell , you realise why Ford has never made the lions .

Only when he gets up in their faces will he make a telling difference.

However, At his age though it’s too late.

1 Go to comments

M

MM 25 minutes ago

'Not a normal rugby team' - The Leinster flex that floored Jake White

What a ridiculous statement!

Only nation to hold the RWC and WTC simultaneously. Agreed but the WTC has only been held 3 times!!

46 Go to comments

N

NK 46 minutes ago

Scott Robertson opens up on drama surrounding Bongi Mbonambi's knock-on try

It was a try (Bongi's knock-on try) in the same way that Mark T'elea's pass to Beauden Barrett was in that Rugby World Cup final. T'elea lost the ball forward (knock-on) to Barrett who picked it up and scored a try. Should have been similarly referred upstairs, but wasn't (which makes it stand to this day). Razor needs to take a chill pill (relax) and map the way forward for his AB team. For he knows, he will be shown the door if he doesn't win anything substantive or tangible this year. The New Zealanders are notoriously impatient with coaches who always come with a bag full of excuses for losing key, defining test matches.

28 Go to comments

E

Ed the Duck 1 hour ago

URC quietly pleased with Croke Park final attendance

Yeah if only the irfu had first rights on the Aviva eh, wonderful planning!!!!

As for twickers, at least the toilets would have been in better condition than they were after your last visit…💩🤣🤣

6 Go to comments

J

Jacky April 2 hours ago

'We're different to football': Gloucester boss wary of away zone trial

3 Go to comments

I

IkeaBoy 2 hours ago

43-year-old Ma'a Nonu scores first try for Toulon in 7 years

It has to be a record at professional level?

5 Go to comments

I

IkeaBoy 2 hours ago

URC quietly pleased with Croke Park final attendance

I’d say it’s definitely steady increase year on year since it became the URC. Hopefully the younger fans who are getting on board will be at the age that they now want to attend games.

The final had a brilliant mix of young kids and families. Great to see.

6 Go to comments

P

PB 2 hours ago

'Not a normal rugby team' - The Leinster flex that floored Jake White

Cheating? How old are you? Honest question. I mean that is like schoolboy analogy.

Ireland have beaten us often.

However didn’t SA win the series 2-1? So what is the excitement about winning a single match in the series, when the series had already been won??

Credit to them, they still choke in WC’s

Munster beat the Stormers in Ireland yes. The point being?

46 Go to comments

I

IkeaBoy 2 hours ago

URC quietly pleased with Croke Park final attendance

The Aviva had been provisionally booked by the FAI for a soccer friendly. They moved it up a week though at short notice but it wasn’t available when Leinster had to nominate a home venue if they made the final.

Twickers should be a sell out with two English teams contesting the final. Be some amount of waxed jackets at that one!

I’d say plenty of the Bath fans had their first ever day out in London. Stiff necks from looking at all the big, tall buildings.

6 Go to comments

P

PB 2 hours ago

'Not a normal rugby team' - The Leinster flex that floored Jake White

In your opinion, which nobody cares for anyway. The people that are in the know disagree with you. Mexted, Muliana, Goldie, Parsons, the list of proper rugby characters in NZ that lament the absence of the SA teams. Some dumb as boar pooh calling himself dynamight is hardly a blip on the radar.

But we are happy in the URC anyway, less travel, more money and we don’t deal with numpties like you. We will see again in the RC if we are not missed after you trained basketball all SRP

46 Go to comments

E

Ed the Duck 3 hours ago

URC quietly pleased with Croke Park final attendance

Yeah but playing the game at an 82k stadium made it look half empty, the Aviva would have looked like a sell out! Just like twickers, which is also an 82k stadium but actually was a sell out. No machine guns required…

6 Go to comments

C

CN 3 hours ago

Back-to-back matches to be introduced in revamped Women’s Six Nations

A very good point about taking matches around the country, although that would rule out the Stoop, otherwise you may as well go next door. Having said that, I think the whole of the country is taken out of the equation not just the north as France is the home team next year.

3 Go to comments

C

CC 3 hours ago

Super Rugby semi takes: Chiefs' wings are ABs, Hoskins horror show

I'm really looking forward to the club world cup Crusaders, Chiefs, Blues, Leinster, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Toulon, Bulls… those will be some amazing games

20 Go to comments

M

Mark 3 hours ago

Lions ruling puts major milestone for captain Maro Itoje on hold

I’ve no idea what the Lions-Argentina game in Dublin is all about tbh, the Argentinian squad for various reasons is a shadow of their full test 23, and I think Kinghorn is still in France for the Lions.

It’s hard to get too invested into this lions tour, it’s too irish heavy, too foreign born player heavy, and when compared to player lists from previous tours…bang average.

1 Go to comments

M

Mark 3 hours ago

Guy Pepper part of seven-strong Bath contingent in England squad

Given the lions call ups and the injury list, I think this is a well balanced squad overall.

Hope Ted hill and guy pepper are given starts, they have both been outstanding this season.

Be interesting to see which scrum half is given the nod in the opening game!!

4 Go to comments

R

Richard Robberts 3 hours ago

Scott Robertson opens up on drama surrounding Bongi Mbonambi's knock-on try

Wow, I feel so sorry for the Robinsons pathetic claim. Let me ask you this..for how many years did did Richy Mcaw get away with his brilliant off side game and negative play,

28 Go to comments

f

fl 3 hours ago

Guy Pepper part of seven-strong Bath contingent in England squad

4 Go to comments

H

Hammer Head 4 hours ago

Scott Robertson opens up on drama surrounding Bongi Mbonambi's knock-on try

Except for Wayne Barnes. He missed the memo in 2023. And/or had his finger crossed during the entire oath ceremony.

28 Go to comments

H

Hammer Head 4 hours ago

Scott Robertson opens up on drama surrounding Bongi Mbonambi's knock-on try

On behalf of all South Africans - thank you. We all appreciate it.

We really should take a leaf from your book and be kinder and stop being horrible to a whole group of people just because of how they all behave.

28 Go to comments

H

Hammer Head 4 hours ago

Scott Robertson opens up on drama surrounding Bongi Mbonambi's knock-on try

Lol. Thats cute.

28 Go to comments

TRENDING

TRENDING Rassie Erasmus releases 11 players as he trims to 45-man Springbok squad Rassie Erasmus calls in prop as part of new 45-man Springbok squad