Depending on the injuries to D’Arcy there are no changes to the Ireland team for the match against Scotland to the one that started against Wales.

Not going to bother rehashing that one, but at the moment I reckon that Ireland’s World Cup ambitions are 3 injuries away from disaster. There are six to eight stand-in players who need at least six starts to find their international feet and there aren’t going to be enough games between now and the World Cup to slot them in smoothly into the existing team without wholesale disruption or meaningless ‘second string’ matches over the summer.   More ... (351 words, 1 image)

I had been predicting on Friday night that Wales would give Ireland a bit of trouble in this match but Ireland swatted a disjointed Wales aside with comparative ease to win comfortably.

Thomas O’Leary had one of his best games for Ireland, breaking well and bagging a try and Keith Earls looked much more comfortable with his forced move to the centre adding a brace. Sexton blew hot and cold with the boot but managed to add three penalties and a conversion.

Ireland won this game up front, where my own personal man of the match, Rory Best, had an absolute stormer of a game appearing to be at the involved in every breakdown, turning over the ball or slowing down Welsh possession. Easily the Ulsterman’s most impressive performance in an Ireland shirt.   More ... (356 words, 1 image)

Absolutely up to my eyes this week so this is not going to be much of a report. Not that the ever are I hear you reply!

Anyway, things on Saturday went pretty much as expected with Ireland having enough class to see off the brute force and ignorance of the English pack.

Bowe (2) and Earls (1) scored the tries for Ireland despite England dominating most aspects of the game and while a win is a win Ireland still have a lot of concerns to take out of this game.

The chief problem is still in the front row and with the commendable Hayes now reaching the milestone of 100 caps the coaching staff must now start and look at the alternatives for the world cup.   More ... (475 words, 1 image)

France 33 Ireland 10

My goodness, last week I was complaining about the lack of excitement in the opening games of the RBS 6 Nations. This week there was nearly too much excitement for this old man to bear as first Scotland and Wales and then France and Ireland served up two fascinating games.

The Scotland v Wales encounter certainly had thrills, spills, drama and excitement in a pulsating encounter, but the France v Ireland game had all the class. Unfortunately for Ireland the bulk of the class was on the French side as they ripped apart the remnants of Ireland’s Golden Generation.   More ... (776 words, 1 image)

I’m finding it increasingly difficult to get excited about the RBS Six Nations to tell the truth.

As regular readers will know we popped down to Navan last Thursday night to watch a cracking game between Ulster Ravens and Leinster A and on Saturday morning I had the pleasure of watching an enthralling match between Friends School Lisburn and Sullivan Upper School in the Northern Bank Schools’ Cup.

Comparing these two games of skill and passion to the over-hyped formulaic dross served up in the opening weekend of the Six Nations is like comparing chalk to cheese and is an indication of how the pressure of the occasion is stifling the performance.   More ... (529 words, 1 image)

I recall watching guitar legend B.B. King on television over the Christmas break. It was late night and I can’t remember the exact circumstances in which I listened to him play and sing. I am not a B.B. King fan and never have been, other than immensely liking ‘Stand By Me,’ his seminal song.

I have found watching him in recent times, as his career declines, an act of extreme irritation with his easy come, easy go manner. Nevertheless, there he was on stage at some sort of compilation concert and he was doing his thing, which usually involves a few trademark licks as intro to a song before abandoning the fret board in lieu of singing.   More ... (1076 words, 1 image)