Irish Rugby

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Concerns over the fitness of Leinster second row RG Snyman before Saturday's Investec Champions Cup semi-final against Northampton at the Aviva Stadium have been allayed.

A squad update issued by the Irish province on Monday indicated that the former Munster forward has returned to full training.

Ireland lock James Ryan, who has not played since the Six Nations, remains a major doubt however as he continues his recovery from a calf injury.

Leinster say they will "look to increase his training load this week as he continues his recovery from injury and will be further assessed as the week goes on".

Snyman was introduced as a replacement in the URC win over Ulster nine days ago but was replaced midway through the first half.

At the time Leinster indicated that he had sustained a dead leg and he subsequently missed his side's weekend defeat by the Scarlets.

"RG Snyman has returned to full training having recovered from injury," Leinster confirmed.

Back Rob Russell will be assessed during the week as he steps up his recovery.

Forward Ryan Baird came through the game at the weekend with no issues after his return from injury, but Will Connors suffered an arm injury against Scarlets and has been ruled out of the meeting with the English Premiership side.

Second row Brian Deeny, meanwhile, has been ruled out for the rest of the season after undergoing a procedure on a knee injury.

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Ulster head coach Richie Murphy praised the "effort and commitment" of his side despite the latest blow to their United Rugby Championship play-off hopes.

The province were beaten 22-19 by the Sharks at Kingspan Stadium on Saturday despite leading 19-0 after half an hour.

The result leaves the side 12th in the URC with two games remaining, three points off the all-important top eight who will advance to the play-offs and secure Champions Cup rugby next season.

"You're probably looking at 47 points getting through into the top eight so we go away to Munster and away to Edinburgh to finish and we'll be fighting all the way to the end until there's nothing left to play for," said Murphy whose side have taken 38 points from 16 games.

"I think we've shown that over the last number of weeks, there's been great commitment out of the lads.

"We've put some really good rugby together at times."

The reverse against the Sharks, who featured eight World Cup winners in their side even with captain Eben Etzebeth ruled out through illness, was Ulster's third in a row in all competitions.

Despite some spirited performances, Ulster have also lost to Bordeaux-Begles and Leinster during the run and Murphy said there could be no question that playing for the side "really means something" to his squad.

"The effort and the commitment and the heart that the lads are showing in relation to playing for Ulster Rugby, it really means something to this group," he added.

"That was questioned a number of months ago, but I would find that hard to question now.

"I never questioned it myself but for people looking in, they must see a group of players who are working really hard and are completely committed to getting Ulster Rugby back to where we want to be which is in the top eight."

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Lions (11) 26

Tries: Du Plessis, Pretorious, Van der Merwe Con: Dobela Pens: Wolhuter 3

Connacht (0) 7

Try: De Buitlear Con: Hawkshaw

Connacht's hopes of reaching the United Rugby Championship play-offs suffered a blow with a 26-7 defeat by the Lions in South Africa.

In contrast to Connacht's dramatic defeat by the Stormers in their previous fixture, when there were eight first-half tries, the opening 40 minutes in Johannesburg proved to be relatively low key.

The hosts made the breakthrough in the 14th minute after slick offloading in the Connacht 22 allowed back Renzo du Plessis to crash over.

Kade Wolhuter pushed the conversion attempt wide, but the fly-half soon made a penalty count to extend the Lions' advantage.

Wolhuter was on target again four minutes before the break as the Lions led 11-0 at half-time.

The Lions' number 10 kicked the first score after the restart with his third penalty of the game, but the South Africans were reduced to 14 players when Du Plessis was sent to the sin-bin for a trip on Santiago Cordero.

Connacht, without a head coach after Peter Wilkins stepped down, thought they had immediately capitalised when Dylan Tierney-Martin rounded off a rolling maul by dropping over the line, but the TMO adjudged there was obstruction and the try was ruled out.

It was the Lions' turn to have a try ruled out when Edwill van der Merwe looked to have scored a sensational solo effort. Play was brought back for a high tackle on centre David Hawkshaw by opposite number Heco van Wyk when Connacht had the ball earlier in the play.

However, the hosts got a deserved try with 10 minutes to play when JC Pretorius got on the end of Jarod Cairns' offload to score.

Eoin de Buitlear responded for Connacht on his return from injury with seven minutes to play, and David Hawkshaw converted, but the Lions had the final say when Van der Merwe pounced on a loose ball to race clear and score.

The defeat is a blow to Connacht's play-off hopes. They are 14th in the URC table and now five points off the top eight with two matches remaining, while the Lions move into 13th with the win.

Lions: Horn; Kriel; Van Wyk, Mills; Van der Merwe; Wolhuter, Van den Berg; Naude, Visagie, Ntlabakanye; R Schoeman, Delport; Pretorius, Du Plessis, Cairns.

Replacements: Botha, Kotze, RF Schoeman, Landsberg, Esterhuizen, Steyn, Dobela, Jonker.

Connacht: O'Conor; Bolton; Hawkshaw, Forde; Jennings; Carty, Devine; Dooley, Tierney-Martin, Aungier; Murphy, Joyce; Prendergast, Oliver, Jansen.

Replacements: De Buitlear, Duggan, Illo, Dowling, Boyle, Reilly, Gavin, Cordero.

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Co-captain Edel McMahon believes three away victories are more important than Ireland's finishing position in the Women's Six Nations.

Ireland had been without an away victory in the Six Nations since 2021 but take on Scotland on Saturday after wins in Italy and Wales.

Regardless of the result in Scotland, the Irish look set to finish the tournament as they are five points clear of Italy with a vastly superior points difference.

"Three wins away from home is what we targeted as a squad," said McMahon, who is co-captain with the injured Sam Monaghan.

"We want to be getting wins away from home, and that builds confidence heading into the World Cup."

Scotland, who have just one victory in this year's Six Nations, won 36-10 in Edinburgh in 2023 while Dannah O'Brien's late penalty handed Ireland a 15-12 win last year.

Ireland will head into the game without injured back row Aoife Wafer, but Niamh O'Dowd returns in the front row after sitting out the 40-14 win in Wales.

"Our history with Scotland has been a bit tit-for-tat, so we're just focused on the game and we'll worry about the table after that," added McMahon.

"We respect Scotland and they know they will give us a good fight.

"We know it's not going to be enough to turn up."

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Niamh O'Dowd says victory over Scotland in Saturday's final Women's Six Nations match can give Ireland momentum heading into the World Cup.

Ireland travel to Edinburgh looking to secure third place in the standings behind England and France.

Scott Bemand's side have won in Italy and Wales to end their run of four years without an away victory in the Six Nations.

"This weekend is a really good opportunity to hopefully finish the campaign with some momentum," said prop O'Dowd, who returns to the starting line-up after missing last weekend's win in Wales because of a shoulder injury.

"We've had two good wins this year. Even last weekend, we put 40 points on Wales and there were still areas we definitely could have sharpened up.

"There is quite a vast difference from two years ago [when Ireland lost 31-5 to Wales and 36-10 in Scotland] and we'll be hoping to put some points on them away from home this time as well."

After the Six Nations, Ireland will prepare for the World Cup with warm-up fixtures at home to Scotland and Canada in August.

The Irish will then face New Zealand, Spain and Japan in pool three when the World Cup gets under way later that month.

"Everyone will then get out of here, get back to their friends and families for a while for a break," added O'Dowd, 25.

"We've then a bit of remote training, come back in June and hit the ground running."

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Werner Kok said his three-month spell out injured was "very frustrating" but that he now hopes to contribute to Ulster's United Rugby Championship play-off push.

The South African winger is set to make his long-awaited return to the pitch against his former side the Sharks in Ulster's must-win game at the Kingspan Stadium on Saturday.

The 32-year-old is keen to make up for lost time and build on a bright start to his Ulster career as the province attempt to secure a victory that will help their hopes of finishing in the top-eight.

"It's been three months since I played so it's been very frustrating," he told BBC Sport NI.

"The first six weeks with a bit of a rest, I came back and felt really good, then a small tweak of the hamstring kept me out for a little bit more. It wasn't planned to be that long, so it was a tough one, especially the last two weeks with the boys playing so well."

Kok is looking forward to a reunion with the Sharks, where he spent four years of his career.

He admits he has been trying to give Ulster's coaches an "insight" into the Sharks, who have named a strong travelling squad for the trip to Belfast.

"I've been speaking to the coaches and trying to give them personal things I know about the guys [at Sharks], I was with them for four years so I know them in and out and hopefully we can capitalise on it," he added.

"I know 80% of their squad and I know what we're going to get, and they will know what they're going to get from me.

"They're going to come with 11-12 Springboks, but if we're on top of our game we'll out work and out play them. We really need to get at least four points out of it so it's a really big game."

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Guinness Women's Six Nations: Scotland v Ireland

Venue: Hive Stadium, Edinburgh Date: Saturday, 26 April Kick-off: 14:30 BST

Coverage: Watch live on iPlayer & online, follow live text and watch video highlights on BBC Sport website & app

Ireland coach Scott Bemand has named two uncapped players in his matchday squad for their Women's Six Nations finale away to Scotland on Saturday, but Aoife Wafer misses out through injury.

Munster's Aoife Corey will make her debut at full-back in Edinburgh as she takes the place of Stacey Flood who drops to the bench.

In the only other change to the backline from the win away to Wales last weekend, Vicky Elmes Kinlan is promoted from the replacements and will make her first Six Nations start on the wing in place of Anna McGann.

Loose-head prop Niamh O'Dowd is fit again and will return to the number one jersey, joining Neve Jones and Linda Djougang in the front row.

With number eight Wafer missing out through a knee injury sustained at Rodney Parade last week, Fiona Tuite comes into the second row alongside Ruth Campbell with Dorothy Wall moving back to blind-side flanker.

Brittany Hogan switches from the six jersey to number eight, with captain Edel McMahon again lining out at open-side flanker.

Munster lock Jane Clohessy, the daughter of former Ireland international prop Peter Clohessy, is named among the replacements and will make her debut if called upon.

Scotland have welcomed back captain Rachel Malcolm and scrum-half Leia Brebner-Holden to their side.

Ireland are seeking a third away win of the campaign after already beating Italy and Wales on the road.

Ireland: Corey; Elmes Kinlan, Dalton, Breen, Costigan; O'Brien, Scuffil-McCabe; O'Dowd, Jones, Djougang, Campbell, Tuite, Wall, McMahon (capt), Hogan.

Replacements: Moloney, McGrath, Haney, Clohessy, Boles, Lane, Higgins, Flood.

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Ireland are "energised" to end their Women's Six Nations campaign on a high in Scotland, says scrum coach Dennis Fogarty.

Sunday's 40-14 over Wales in Newport moved Ireland into third place in the standings.

The Irish need just one point to secure third behind England and France, and Fogarty says that is motivation as they travel to Scotland.

"I think they are energised by ending on a high. It's always really tricky over in Scotland," said Fogarty.

"They want to finish on a high and go straight into a World Cup campaign in a good place. That has been a real focus."

Fogarty added that Ireland "should be all good" in terms of fitness ahead of the game in Edinburgh, and prop Niamh O'Dowd will be available for selection after missing the win in Wales through injury.

However, Fogarty said the final Six Nations game will come "a bit too soon" for wing Beibhan Parsons, who has missed the tournament through injury.

Ireland ended their four-year wait for an away victory in the Six Nations in Italy earlier in the competition and backed that up with a win over Wales.

Despite the bonus-point win, Fogarty says there was "a slight frustration" with a number of errors that handed Wales possession.

"Probably the 22 errors where we just handed the ball back to Wales. That was frustrating for us [as coaches] and equally for the players.

"That shows the growth of where they are at now and they know what they can deliver on the pitch.

"It's good they are like that, the players wanted to get in this week and put it right."

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Full-back Mike Lowry and centre Stewart Moore have been ruled out of Ulster's United Rugby Championship [URC] game against Sharks on Saturday.

Lowry was stretchered off in the 41-17 defeat against Leinster in the URC last weekend, requiring treatment after he tackled Robbie Henshaw in the build-up to Tommy O'Brien's try at the Aviva Stadium.

He was taken to hospital, but Ulster head coach Richie Murphy said after the defeat that his scan was "OK".

He will miss the home game against Sharks as he recovers from the neck injury sustained and from concussion.

Moore was forced off in the opening 10 minutes of the Leinster loss after suffering a concussion and will be absent this weekend.

Ulster also have a number of other injury doubts ahead of the Sharks game that they must win to boost their URC play-off hopes but Murphy said only Moore and Lowry have been ruled out at this stage.

Stuart McCloskey dropped out of the starting team in Dublin after picking up a groin injury in the warm-up, while Rob Herring [calf] and Callum Reid [knee] had to go off injured in the bruising defeat.

John Cooney also has an ankle problem before what would be his final home game as an Ulster player before departing for Brive in the summer.

"Quite a number of the lads who came off [against Leinster] trained and quite a few others sat out," said Murphy of Tuesday's session.

"We haven't ruled anybody else out.

"We'll give them until Thursday to see where they're at. We just have to wait and see."

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Alan O'Connor and Andy Warwick are among eight players who will leave Ulster Rugby at the end of the 2024-25 season.

The pair are two of 11 players who have represented the province more than 200 times.

Dublin native O'Connor, who has regularly captained the side, joined Ulster in 2012 after representing the Ireland Under-20s and was named the side's player of the year in the 2020-21 season.

Warwick, who came through the club's academy, made his senior debut in February 2014.

"Al [O'Connor] and Waz [Warwick] have been superb role models in the way they go about their work with a no-nonsense attitude and total commitment to the jersey over the years," said Ulster's general manager Bryn Cunningham.

"Both players hit the milestone of reaching over 200 caps for Ulster Rugby earlier this season, becoming members of that special club."

As well as previously confirmed exits for John Cooney, Kieran Treadwell and Reuben Crothers, prop Corrie Barrett, scrum-half Michael McDonald and flanker Matty Rea will also be departing Kingspan Stadium at the end of the season.

Ulster host the Sharks in the United Rugby Championship (URC) at Kingspan Stadium on Saturday evening needing a victory to keep pace in the race for the league's play-off spots.

Head coach Richie Murphy feels that a last home game for some "incredible servants" to Ulster should provide added motivation.

"For those guys that are leaving, the last chance to play here in this stadium is a big moment for them," he said.

"From the rest of the group, it probably focuses us in a little bit more. This is a huge game no matter what because we're fighting to get into that top eight.

"A little bit of added spice should be a good thing for us in relation of getting us on the edge."

Andy Gray
BBC Sport NI Journalist

Head coach Richie Murphy says Ulster face "three finals" in their bid to reach the United Rugby Championship play-offs.

Their defeat by Leinster on Saturday leaves Murphy's side in 10th place in the standings, two points outside the all-important top eight.

Ulster host the Sharks in Belfast this weekend and finish their campaign away to Munster and Edinburgh.

"Yeah, it definitely is," Murphy said when asked if Saturday's final home game of the season was a must-win for his side.

"It's very hard to know what you need to get into the top eight but 47 or 48 points will probably do it.

"We're on 37 at the moment, so we'd be pretty happy with 10 or 11 points. Whether that be three wins or picking up a couple of bonus points, it's going to be very tight."

• Eight teams, six points, four spots - the URC's play-off race

After three consecutive league wins, Ulster had moved into sixth place heading into last weekend but have dropped to 10th after the 41-17 defeat by runaway leaders Leinster at the Aviva Stadium.

Murphy will also have to contend with a number of injury concerns heading into the final stretch of the regular season, with backs Stuart McCloskey, Stewart Moore and Michael Lowry all injured in Dublin.

Props Callum Reid and Andrew Warwick were also injured in the defeat, while hooker Rob Herring was replaced at half-time.

"We always said we would take each game as it comes," Murphy added.

"Our big worry is what state our troops are going to be in.

"I know they will bounce back mentally and we can physically freshen them up, but it's just where we sit with injuries."

Ireland back row Aoife Wafer says Sunday's 40-14 win in Wales in the Six Nations is "huge" but there are still things to improve.

Wafer was named player of the match as she scored two of Ireland's six tries in Newport.

Forwards Linda Djougang and Dorothy Wall also touched down twice as Ireland ran out comfortable winners.

"It's huge. We can take a lot out of that but we can also build on it," Wafer told BBC Sport after the game.

"We gave Wales some really easy ins at the breakdown in the first half and that put us defending when we wanted to attack. So there's a lot to build on."

Ireland need just one point from their final fixture in Scotland to secure third place in the Six Nations table for the second year in a row.

While still a level below England, who ran out big winners in Cork in round three, Ireland have shown improvement against France in their opening and followed that up with a first away win in the tournament in four years when Scott Bemand's side defeated Italy in Parma.

The victory over Wales was another step in the right direction, and Ireland will look to finish on a high away to Scotland, who are fourth in the table, as their World Cup preparations continue.

"Winning away is tough, so to do it in Parma and Wales, we can take a lot from it," added Wafer.

"The crowd were brilliant, so to quieten them down and put on our own game is something we can take from it into our final match."

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Women's Six Nations: Wales v Ireland

Venue: Rodney Parade Date: Sunday, 20 April Kick-off: 15:00 BST

Coverage: Watch on BBC One Wales, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport online, listen on BBC Sounds, BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru

Ireland scrum-half Molly Scuffil-McCabe said that her goal has always been to secure a place in Scott Bemand's squad for this year's Women's World Cup.

Scuffil-McCabe will make her first appearance of this year's Six Nations against Wales on Sunday.

And she is hoping to impress enough to earn herself a place at the World Cup in England which kicks off in August, as she battles with Emily Lane for a starting berth.

"My goal has always been the World Cup then working past that," she said.

"I've put a lot of work into this World Cup being the one I want to be involved in and that has been my 'why' the last few years."

The 27-year-old said she will assess "what's next" in terms of club rugby after the World Cup.

She currently splits her time between playing domestically in Ireland with Railway Union and Leinster, as well as in New Zealand with Manawatu Cyclones.

Aiming to spend three months at a time in each country, she says the experience in New Zealand has been eye-opening in a rugby sense.

"I'm hoping to go for permanent residency over in New Zealand, I had a small stint with the Hurricanes before I came over which was really nice, a good level and good to see a few more of the Black Ferns and see their structures," she explained.

"I've enjoyed how much of a different environment it is in one way, but I also love coming back here, I try do my hard work over there to be my best here.

"I was a lifeguard over there, so I took a job where I worked three days and trained four days, so it was enough to cover everything."

Ireland managed two wins in the Six Nations last year as they finished third.

They have already beaten Italy this year and with games against Wales and Scotland to come, Scuffil-McCabe says the team are targeting three wins in this campaign to secure third place again.

"Looking at last year, what we want to do is push on and get those three [wins] and focus on our own performance," she added.

"We determine what success is for us, but we will definitely want to push on to those wins."