Irish Rugby

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Ireland scrum coach John Fogarty is hoping to avoid a repeat of his Murrayfield "panic" from two years ago when prop Cian Healy had to move to the centre of the scrum and flanker Josh van der Flier was forced to undertake line-out throwing duties.

Hooker Ronan Kelleher and replacement Dan Sheehan were both injured before half-time in the 2023 Six Nations game which led to some improvisation from Andy Farrell's group of players.

This sides meet again on Sunday at the Edinburgh venue after both earned opening wins last weekend.

Asked about what he was thinking when both hookers were forced off, Fogarty used some colourful language before quickly adding for public consumption: "It was a nightmare. I was in a little bit of a panic.

"I was talking to Cian Healy and saying 'you've got to keep the brake foot up. And will we do this, and will we do that?'"

Incredibly, Healy promptly won a scrum penalty and continued on in that vein as Van der Flier's line-out throwing was also largely impeccable.

'This is brilliant'

Fogarty's principal recollection from the game is how coach Farrell seemed to be revelling in the challenge of it all.

"We came in at half-time and I was trying to figure it out in my mind.

"And I walked into Andy and he just goes, 'this is brilliant'. And he was smiling and he was like way happier in the chaos of what was happening."

Fogarty says he and fellow coach Paul O'Connell weren't enjoying the predicament quite so much.

"[I was thinking] Have I spent enough time with Cian [at half-time]?

"There was that little bit of that from me and from Paul. Paul isn't as cool as you might think."

However, the Irish responded to the adversity by holding Scotland scoreless in the second half as tries from James Lowe and Jack Conan completed a 22-8 victory.

A week later, the 29-16 victory over England sealed Ireland's fourth Grand Slam.

"We had a good plan but it was more the playing group. The playing group took any information, were calm enough to go out there and do what an Irish player does and be competitive and stay in the moment."

Jude McCann
BBC Sport NI Journalist

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Head coach Richie Murphy has welcomed the return of internationals Jacob Stockdale, James Hume and Stuart McCloskey for Friday's game against Queensland Reds (19:35 GMT).

The Ireland trio have all been named in the starting line-up with lock Alan O'Connor captaining the side and Conor McKee making his debut at scrum-half for the friendly in Belfast.

While Ulster line up with a mix of experience and young prospects, Murphy is looking forward to facing a Reds side packed with international pedigree.

"They scored 82 points last weekend. We'll try and make sure that they don't score 82 points this weekend and hopefully the game lives up to its billing," Murphy told BBC Sport NI.

"The lads are looking forward to it, looking forward to getting back on the field and try to fix a few of the things that weren't quite right against Zebre."

Murphy has made 11 changes to his team that lost to the Italians last time out with Tom Stewart, Lorcan McLoughlin and David McCann the only surviving forwards.

In the back line, Aidan Morgan starts at fly-half with Jake Flannery coming in at full-back.

"It's one of these games where you get an opportunity to try a few things, so in that regard, we're really looking forward to it," Murphy added.

"The three boys coming back in is a massive thing and it's great the way we have this game in order to give them some experience before we get back into the league.

"The likes of Conor McKee hasn't played with us before so he'll get an opportunity to play this week. Matty Dalton's coming back from a long time away from the province, has shown up really well in training, so we're really excited to see those guys go."

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Injury doubts Mack Hansen and Finlay Bealham remain in contention to feature in Ireland's Six Nations game against Scotland on Sunday, but Tadhg Furlong and Joe McCarthy look set to again be unavailable.

Winger Hansen, 26, left the field in the first half of Saturday's win over England as a blood substitution after sustaining a cut knee though he did return to finish the victory.

Tight-head prop Bealham, meanwhile, had an ankle injury following the England game but scrum coach John Fogarty said that the Connacht pair "looked good" in training on Wednesday morning.

"They trained just now and it looks positive for both of them. They took part in the full session," said Fogarty.

The news was less positive concerning British and Irish Lions tight-head prop Furlong and lock McCarthy with Fogarty saying the Murrayfield contest is likely to "come too soon" for the Leinster duo.

Furlong missed the England game because of a calf injury with concussion ruling McCarthy out of the Aviva Stadium contest.

Ireland are already short of options for the number three jersey given Furlong's injury and with Ulster's Tom O'Toole serving the last match of a six-game ban this weekend.

Bealham was replaced for the final 21 minutes of the England game by Tom Clarkson.

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Ulster backs James Hume, Stuart McCloskey and Jacob Stockdale are all set to return to action after injury lay-offs.

The club have said the Ireland international trio have resumed full training and are available for selection in Friday's mid-season friendly against Queensland Reds at Kingspan Stadium (19:35 GMT).

Centre Hume has not played since suffering a serious knee injury last April, while Stockdale and McCloskey have been out since November and December with hamstring problems.

Wing Werner Kok is ruled out of Friday's having undergone wrist surgery, while Ethan McIlroy had knee surgery for a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

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Ireland scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park says there is "no reason" Scotland cannot beat Simon Easterby's side in their Six Nations meeting on Sunday (15:00 GMT).

Both sides won their opening fixtures last weekend. Ireland overturned a half-time deficit to beat England in Dublin, while Scotland survived an Italian fightback in Edinburgh.

Gregor Townsend's side have not beaten Ireland since 2017, a 10-game run that includes seven Six Nations games, two World Cup pool meetings and an Autumn Nations Cup clash.

"They're a classy side," said Gibson-Park.

"They're playing good footy, and they're stacked full of really good individuals, so it will be a tough challenge. I know it's been a long time since they won [against Ireland] but there's no reason they can't."

Victory for Ireland would equal the longest run of wins in this fixture, set by Scotland between 1882 and '93, but Gibson-Park does not feel the hosts will be more motivated than any other opposition.

"I think that's the case for a lot of teams now," he said when asked whether Scotland's desperation for victory would be a factor in the game.

"We've kind of been near enough to the top of the rankings now for a while and, like, I know myself that if I'm coming up against a quality side you want to put your best performance out there. Next week will be no different I think."

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Ireland "hope" Mack Hansen and Finlay Bealham will be fit to play Scotland in the Six Nations at Murrayfield on Sunday.

The Connacht duo both picked up knocks in the opening round win over England in Dublin last weekend.

Winger Hansen, 26, left the field in the first half as a blood substitution, though did return to finish the victory.

Tight-head prop Bealham, 33, suffered what the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) described as a leg injury in the second half and was replaced for the final 21 minutes by Tom Clarkson.

Ireland are already short of options for the number three jersey, with Tadhg Furlong still struggling with a calf issue and Tom O'Toole serving the last match of a six-game ban this weekend.

The IRFU said that Furlong and lock Joe McCarthy, who missed out against England through concussion, have "both stepped up their rehabilitation programmes" but that a decision on their availability will not be made until later in the week.

Munster forward Thomas Ahern and Connacht back Shayne Bolton have been added to the squad this week, bringing the total number of players in Simon Easterby's panel to 39.

Ireland's interim head coach will name his side to face Scotland on Friday.

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Former Grand Slam winner Tommy Bowe praised Jack Conan and Dan Sheehan's impact off the bench in Ireland's Six Nations win over England on Saturday.

In his first Test appearance since last year's Six Nations, back row Conan added a serious injection of ball-carrying threat after being introduced early in the second half, while hooker Sheehan marked his return from an anterior cruciate ligament injury with a try.

Speaking on the BBC's Rugby Union Weekly podcast, former Ireland star Bowe said "game breakers" Conan and Sheehan should be under consideration for this summer's British and Irish Lions tour.

Bowe said: "The two players that did come off the bench that absolutely could be and probably should be going on the Lions tour is Jack Conan, who started at eight in all three Tests of the last series and Dan Sheehan, who I think is one of the best hookers in the world right now.

"He's just come back from an ACL. It's only his second match back after a five-month recovery, which is quite remarkable and unheard of, he was phenomenal when he came on."

Bowe, who twice toured with the Lions, also said praised Ireland's depth of leadership.

"From an Irish point of view, there's so many great leaders, but [Jamison] Gibson-Park is one of the leaders in there.

"He's so fundamental. There's [Caelan] Doris at eight, you have James Ryan in the second row. It's the spine of the team."

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Celtic Challenge, Clovers v Brython Thunder

Clovers (34) 58

Tries: Clohessy 3, McGann 2, Barrett 2, Costigan 2, Ugwueru Cons: Fowley 4

Brython Thunder (0) 0

Clovers scored 10 tries as they comprehensively defeated Brython Thunder 58-0 at Kingspan Stadium to make it four wins from five in their Celtic Challenge campaign.

The Irish side crossed six times in the first half, including a hat-trick of scores from second row Jane Clohessy, who was named player of the match.

Clohessy barged over for the opening touchdown in the third minute to set the tone for the game, with Anna McGann running in to extend the lead three minutes later after a weaving run by wing Chisom Ugwueru.

Clohessy burst through the Welsh team's defence midway through the half to add her second try, then prop Sophie Barrett rumbled over for the bonus-point score.

Thunder enjoyed spells of possession and were competitive at the ruck but found themselves further behind when Clohessy completed her hat-trick after McGann set her up by breaching their opponents' defence.

Clovers captain Amee Leigh Costigan got her name on the scoresheet when she completed a flowing move by going over in the corner as her side led 34-0 at the break.

The one-sided nature of the contest continued in the second half as Ugwueru darted over two minutes after the resumption, then Barrett, McGann and Costigan all scored their second tries of the game.

Nicole Fowley converted four of her side's tries.

A fourth straight win then for Denis Fogarty's side while it is six losses in a row for Brython Thunder.

Clovers: Méabh Deely, Amee Leigh Costigan (capt), Anna McGann, Caitriona Finn, Chisom Ugwueru, Nicole Fowley, Emily Lane, Siobhán McCarthy, Emily Gavin, Sophie Barrett, Aoibhe O'Flynn, Jane Clohessy, Brianna Heylmann, Deirbhile Nic a Bháird, Jane Neill.

Replacements: Beth Buttimer, Grainne Burke, Saoirse Crowe, Grace Browne Moran, Beibhinn Gleeson, Grainne Moran, Alana McInerney, Aoife Corey.

Gwalia Lightning: Rhodd Parry; Courtney Greenway, Kelsie Webster, Anwen Owen, Caitlin Lewis; Carys Hughes, Sian Jones; Maisie Davies, Molly Wakely, Cana Williams, Lily Terry, Alaw Pyrs, Bryonie King (capt), Catrin Stewart, Gwennan Hopkins.

Replacements: Mollie Mae Crabb, Dali Hopkins, Danyelle Dinapoli, Lottie Buffery-Latham, Katie Bevans, Freya Bell, Carys Williams-Morris, Jenny Hesketh.

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Glasgow Warriors fell to a fourth-consecutive Celtic Challenge defeat as they were outclassed by defending champions Wolfhounds at Scotstoun.

Warriors raced into an early lead through Briar McNamara's try in their first home game this campaign but were 33 points behind just after the second-half restart after dominant Wolfhounds showed their quality.

Ceitidh Ainsworth and Emily Coubrough scored second-half tries as Warriors fought to claw back some of the deficit.

The result leaves the hosts second bottom of the competition table, level on points with bottom side Brython Thunder.

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Men's Six Nations: Ireland v England

Venue: Aviva Stadium Date: Saturday, 1 February Kick-off: 16:45 GMT

Coverage: Listen live on BBC Radio 5 Live; text commentary and highlights on BBC Sport website and app; watch on ITV1

Captain Caelan Doris believes reversing England's "collision dominance" is key to Ireland's hopes in their Six Nations opener on Saturday afternoon.

The reigning champions saw their ambition of historic back-to-back Grand Slams ended by England in Twickenham last year when Marcus Smith's late drop-goal guided Steve Borthwick's side to victory.

Doris admitted that defeat still hurts "massively" and is expecting a real tussle with an England back row that contains twins Tom and Ben Curry this time.

"Last year over there it was probably their collision dominance and eking out a few yards post-contact," he said.

"Ben Earl was at the top of his game on that day and has been for the last couple of years, as are the two Currys.

"So from the back row point of view it is going to be a fun one."

England's only victories in the eight games since that dramatic win last year have come against Japan and they struggled to see out games during the autumn.

They had been similarly lacking rhythm when the sides met 11 months ago, but Doris said Ireland had a sense that there was a "big performance brewing".

"It's always the ultimate test coming up against these guys. There's a rich history and a massive rivalry there over the last number of years.

"We'd had a pretty good run [last year], fourth round going in over there and there was a lot of belief. We also respected them massively and knew that there was a big performance brewing from them.

"They obviously hadn't gone so well at that point but you look back six months prior to that and they're in a World Cup final [semi-final].

"It's similar now in that they've been on the wrong side of some of their results in the autumn but we have massive respect for them as a team and the quality in their squad."

Despite winning three of four Tests in the autumn, there was a feeling that Ireland had not hit top form themselves in November.

Handling issues and a slew of penalty concessions were evident in a defeat to New Zealand and victories over Argentina and Australia.

When asked for areas improvement, Doris talked about discipline, the line-out and scrum, as well as the attack and breakdown, before noting he had "mentioned basically the whole game".

He added: "But there is that feeling that there is growth from individuals, from us as a collective across the board, and that's the exciting thing for us."

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Former winger Chris Ashton believes England will see Sam Prendergast's inexperience as an "opportunity" in Saturday's Six Nations opener.

The 21-year-old Leinster fly-half will be making his championship debut having won his three previous caps in November.

After the retirement of Johnny Sexton following the 2023 World Cup, Munster's Jack Crowley wore the number 10 jersey for every minute of last year's Six Nations.

The 25-year-old started against the All Blacks and Argentina in the autumn but has since had to make do with a role as a replacement.

"The inexperience of Sam might be an opportunity," said Ashton on BBC's Rugby Union Weekly.

"You're so used to having someone there for Ireland who is so experienced.

"We're going back 20 years, [Ronan] O'Gara, Sexton, you're so used to having someone there who is experienced and can lead a team.

"Sam is 21-years-old, so if you're looking for a chink somewhere, a target for your team, you're going to go for the fly-half, aren't you?"

While predicting Ireland's fly-half debate will be a "close contest for years to come", Ashton likens Prendergast's style to that of Sexton, who has been in the side's camp in a mentoring role.

"The way he looks, the way he plays, is so similar to Johnny Sexton," he added.

"The way he operates, those wraparound passes, there's so many similarities there."

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Ireland back row Josh van der Flier is relishing his chance to face England's "brilliant" Curry twins in Saturday's Six Nations game in Dublin.

Sale flankers Tom and Ben Curry have been selected to start together for the first time by England head coach Steve Borthwick.

"They're brilliant," said Leinster's Van der Flier, who starts at openside flanker for Ireland.

"They come up with some big moments but they work very, very hard, they both seem incredibly fit, strong and they bring a lot of energy - good all-round back rows really."

Van der Flier, who made his Ireland debut against England in 2016, added: "I've played against Tom a good few times and he's world class, and Ben has obviously showed how good he is as well any time he's been able to put his hand up."

While Van der Flier won the world player of the year award for his performances in 2022, the 30-year-old says he "probably" feels better than ever after seeking longevity tips from evergreen internationals Peter O'Mahony and Cian Healy, who boast a combined 244 caps.

"I wouldn't consider myself old by any means, it certainly is something that once you get past the 30 mark you need to be thinking of and they've been really helpful to me.

"They've given me a few tips here and there. You have to be more efficient I suppose.

"Up until three or four years ago, I'd probably finish training and stay out for ages afterwards and then you'd be stiff and sore the next day."