Latest news with #Irish-qualified
The 42
21-05-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Wrecking ball Angus Bell a major ball-carrying boost for Ulster
THE DOOM AND gloom Ulster fans have been feeling in recent weeks lifted today. It's not that all their worries have suddenly been calmed, but this is an exciting day for the province's supporters. Angus Bell is a world-class player, one of the best loosehead props in the game. Next season, he will be playing for Ulster. It's a major coup for the Irish province, all the more so given that Bell attracted strong interest from other clubs in Europe. The explosive 24-year-old would make most teams better. He is set to arrive at Ulster following the 2025 November Tests when Joe Schmidt's Wallabies will face England, Italy, Ireland, and France. Bell's contract with the province is due to run until the end of the 2025/26 season. Ulster had looked set to head into next season with Eric O'Sullivan, Callum Reid, and Sam Crean as their senior looseheads. O'Sullivan has been capped by Ireland, Reid has played for Emerging Ireland, and the Irish-qualified Crean has arrived from Saracens. Now, Ulster have a marquee player to head up the depth chart. Bell made his Australia debut a month after turning 20. He is still a young player, but he is Australia's first-choice loosehead and already has 36 Test caps. The only men in Ulster's squad with more international experience are 33-year-old captain Iain Henderson, 35-year-old hooker Rob Herring, and 29-year-old wing Jacob Stockdale. Bell has put that body of work with the Wallabies together despite injury troubles in the last three years. The Waratahs prop was sidelined for chunks of the 2022, 2023, and 2024 seasons due to a recurring toe issue. The second time it struck in 2023, Bell had a bone removed from his foot, but even that didn't resolve the issue. At one stage last year, Bell thought he would have to retire. Ex-Wallaby Stephen Hoiles suggested that if Bell did get fit again, he should move to the back row – where he had played in his school days – to avoid the pressure scrummaging puts on feet. However, cutting-edge surgery to essentially remodel Bell's foot was successful and the dynamic prop finally appears to have put those woes behind him. Bell has had serious travails with injury. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Bell has been fully fit and firing this year in Super Rugby and though the Waratahs have struggled in Super Rugby, the prop is set to be a key figure for the Wallabies this summer against the Lions. Advertisement He wasn't at his best on last autumn's tour of the Northern Hemisphere, looking fatigued and missing out on the final game against Ireland. But Bell's best is very, very good. He is a wrecking ball of a carrier. At around 6ft 3ins and 125kg, he is a big man but he moves well. His acceleration is a big point of difference. He brings blunt power into contact when there's traffic in front of him, but he has the agility to beat defenders with flashes of footwork. Bell has a dynamic fend and he's skillful with ball in hand. He has even shown off his grubber-kicking ability while playing for the Barbarians. Every prop needs to nail their scrummaging and Bell is seen as a solid operator in that area. He has had some tough outings for the Wallabies but that's the reality of Test rugby. Bell, the son of once-capped Wallabies hooker Mark, generally uses his power well in the set-piece. Working with former international Dan Palmer at the Waratahs this season has surely been helpful, while Schmidt brought legendary Kiwi scrum guru Mike Cron into the Wallabies set-up last year. Given Bell's history with foot injuries, the sheer technical expertise of Cron must be invaluable. Defensively, the Aussie loosehead brings power in the tackle and can jackal at the breakdown too. But it is Bell's ball-carrying prowess that is most exciting for Ulster, especially given that Northampton number eight Juarno Augustus is coming in to provide more of it. Augustus has been an explosive carrier for Northampton for the last four seasons since joining from the Stormers in his native South Africa. The 27-year-old's progress was recognised by his inclusion in the latest Springboks alignment camp, highlighting that he is in Rassie Erasmus' wider plans as the 2027 World Cup comes into view. Augustus, who signed a three-year deal with the province, will join a promising crop of Ulster back rows that also includes key man Nick Timoney. The likes of David McCann, James McNabney, Lorcan McLoughlin, and academy flanker Bryn Ward will hope to continue making progress next season. Juarno Augustus is another powerful ball-carrier. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO There is no getting away from the fact that Ulster have had a miserable 2024/25 campaign. Finishing 14th in the URC and winning one game in the Champions Cup is not the standard the province aspires to. Richie Murphy's men will be playing in the Challenge Cup next season and perhaps that will provide a chance for this young squad to improve without as much intense pressure. Still, they want to be in the Champions Cup again as soon as possible. Finding the resources to bring in Bell was important, but the long-term project in Ulster revolves around developing a crop of homegrown players they believe have the potential to be like Trimble, Bowe, Best, Cave, and Ferris before them. It looks like head coach Murphy will continue to back his 20-year-old son Jack to steer the ship at out-half. This time last year, Ulster were announcing the signing of Irish-qualified New Zealand native Aidan Morgan on a two-year deal in the hope that he was the answer at number 10 after they allowed Billy Burns to move on. There were flashes of individual attacking brilliance from Morgan early in his time with Ulster, but he's still only 23 and never looked comfortable or confident in leading the team. The former Hurricanes man has now left Ulster by mutual consent. That leaves Murphy – who only joined the Ulster academy this season – as the main man at out-half, with Jake Flannery and James Humphreys also on the books. 25-year-old Flannery has only played four times this season due to injury, while 24-year-old Humphreys, the son of IRFU performance director David, has made his first five senior appearances off the bench. Aidan Morgan is leaving Ulster this summer. Bryan Keane / INPHO Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO There may be wiggle room for Ulster to add a more experienced out-half if someone becomes available, although it's obviously late in the day now. Murphy, who was playing for the Ireland U20s last year, has done well in his first season. He broke into the team back in December and has since established himself as the first-choice, impressing with his kicking, passing, and decision-making. Like most young out-halves, the physical challenge of stepping up from U20s level is notable but Ulster have great faith in Murphy. The backline options outside Murphy remain extremely talented and very dangerous. That hasn't been an issue for Ulster in recent years. Stockdale is playing excellent rugby, Mike Lowry can be lethal, pace man Rob Baloucoune just needs better injury luck, Zac Ward is a growing force, and Werner Kok is a physical weapon. Centres Stuart McCloskey, James Hume, Jude Postlethwaite, and Ben Carson also have lots of quality. It should help all of those backs that Bell and Augustus will be winning collisions next season.
RTÉ News
12-05-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Sheffield United ease past Bristol City and into Championship play-off final by record margin
(aggregate 6-0) Sheffield United are one win away from ending their play-off hoodoo after booking their place in the Sky Bet Championship final with a record-breaking semi-final demolition of Bristol City. The Blades will meet Sunderland or Coventry at Wembley after a 6-0 aggregate victory over the Robins – the biggest winning margin in Championship play-off semi-final history. After doing the heavy lifting in Thursday's first leg at Ashton Gate, where they won 3-0, they finished the job on home soil thanks to goals from Kieffer Moore, Gus Hamer and Callum O'Hare. They will be hoping it is 10th time lucky, having lost in their previous nine play-off encounters, which has included three Championship finals. None of those have been under boss Chris Wilder, though, and he is eyeing a third promotion with his boyhood club. For long parts of the season it looked like the Blades would go up automatically until Leeds and Burnley ran away with it, but they regrouped well in time for the play-off semi-finals and can now turn their attention to Wembley in 12 days time. This was a bridge too far for Bristol City and they were unable to repair the damage from Thursday's first leg against a team they finished 22 points behind in the league. The Robins had no option other than to go for it in the early stages as they tried to make inroads to their first-leg deficit. George Earthy flashed an effort just wide in just the second minute before Republic of Ireland midfielder Jason Knight tested goalkeeper Michael Cooper with a low effort from distance. But the Blades held firm and as the first half wore on they began to take control. In the 34th minute Andre Brooks could not connect with Hamer's cross while Harrison Burrows saw a deflected effort fizz just wide. And a promising spell of pressure was rewarded when the hosts went in front to well and truly kill the tie. Moore was the man who inflicted the damage, heading Burrows' corner past Irish-qualified Max O'Leary from close range. Hamer made it 2-0 on the night shortly as a clever corner routine saw him with time and space on the edge of the area, with his shot deflecting off Haydon Roberts. Tyrese Campbell almost made it 3-0 shortly after coming off the bench when he fizzed an effort just wide and as the Blades wanted to make it a night to remember. Another substitute, O'Hare, got on the scoresheet in the 83rd minute with a fine goal. Campbell burst down the left, Burrows cleverly stepped over his cross, allowing O'Hare to sweep home. It meant the night ended in celebration for the Blades, who paid an emotional tribute to their former player George Baldock, following his tragic death in October after drowning in a swimming pool in Greece.
Irish Examiner
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Munster sign Connacht wing Andrew Smith on one-year deal
Munster have secured the signature of Connacht wing Andrew Smith for next season following an impactful month on loan from the western province. The former Ireland sevens Olympian becomes Munster's fifth permanent signing for 2025-26 following the additions of Leicester centre Dan Kelly, Leinster front-rowers Lee Barron and Michael Milne and Connacht fly-half JJ Hanrahan, all of them Irish-qualified. Read More Duncan Casey: Leinster 'victims of their own success'? Give me a break Smith, 24, joined on a short-term loan from Connacht in March and has scored three tries in four appearances, one in the famous Champions Cup Round of 16 win at La Rochelle and another two a week later in the quarter-final defeat at Bordeaux-Begles and he has since added an All Ireland League winners' medal after starting for Clontarf in their Division 1A final victory over Cork Constitution April 27. Munster and the IRFU announced on Tuesday that he had signed a one-year contract to remain at the province.
The Irish Sun
29-04-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Leinster fearful secret weapon could be blunted vs Northampton Saints by choice of referee for Champions Cup semi
LEINSTER fear the impact of secret weapon Rabah Slimani could be curbed by the ref in charge of this week's Champions Cup semi. Pierre Brousset is the man in the middle for 3 Assistant coach Robin McBryde acknowledged Rabah Slimani got on the wrong side of Brousset earlier this season 3 The 35-year-old is a wealth of knowledge to younger members of the pack 3 Brousset is a seasoned veteran himself Credit: Sportsfile And 35-year-old Slimani has fallen foul of the French official at scrum time in two recent matches — against Bristol in December and Harlequins last month. Leinster forwards coach Robin McBryde explained: 'We had a conversation after the Bristol game because it wasn't a great advert for rugby and for scrums in particular. 'We had a good conversation after that one against Quins as well. 'Rabah's fallen foul of some of his decisions and in all of the other games during the year Rabah's proved a good weapon for us from a scrummaging point of view. Read More On Irish Sport 'So we just need to make sure we're seeing the same pictures as Pierre is seeing with regards to that.' McBryde also revealed he has been delighted with how Frenchman Slimani, South Africa's RG Snyman — who is fit again after training — and All Black Jordie Barrett are helping Leinster's younger players. He said: 'All three of them bring that level of experience with them, that level of composure. 'That's why they're here, it's to bring on the players that they're playing alongside. Most read in Rugby Union 'I would call it short-term thinking in terms of why they're here instead of an Irish-qualified player. "But we've seen the benefit that the youngsters get from being alongside them, playing with them and training with them, just bouncing ideas off each other. 'That time of year again' - Peter O'Mahony's captivating garden update includes hilarious tip for parents 'I'm not saying that untruthfully or anything, I'm being 100 per cent genuine. "A lot of these players will be better for having the experience of playing alongside them, the IP that they've got, all of these players. 'There's no better feedback than instant feedback. 'If you're a young prop scrummaging against Rabah, you get things wrong, and Rabah is able to tell you what you got wrong. He shares that information. 'Or if you play alongside him as a hooker.' BAIRD BLOW Ryan Baird is among those who might benefit from Snyman's experience but McBryde reckons the main thing the Dubliner needs is game-time. McBryde said: 'It's hard when you don't get to play regular rugby. That's the next step for Ryan I would feel. He hasn't been lucky with injuries recently. 'It would be great from his point of view to get a run of games to see how he can push on and fulfil all that potential. 'You have to fulfill it and you have to stay fit in order to do it. Either that, or if you're not getting the rub of the green off the coach you've got to go somewhere else. It's as simple as that. 'It's all well and good dipping in and out but sometimes you just need that consistency of week-in, week-out, working with the same group of players either side of you, just to build those relationships. 'He called lineouts last week but it's only the second time this season I think he's done that.' EPCR organisers made some €45 tickets available over the weekend in a bid to boost sales, which have been sluggish. For last year's semi-final, they worked with Leinster on pricing but the competition's organisers are going it alone this time around.
Irish Examiner
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Imported star power to guide Leinster in the short and long-terms
This is it. Four weeks, barring defeat to Northampton this Saturday, that will define Leinster's season and, let's face it, the dice seems to be rolling in their favour ahead of the Champions Cup semi-finals. The Saints are not the team that gave them so much discomfort in Croke Park at this same stage last year. Antoine Dupont is sidelined for Toulouse while Bordeaux, though impressive and exciting, are unproven at the business end of the year. Even Cardiff, the verdict for the final, is all but home territory. None of which would matter if Leinster weren't in such a good place. Harlequins and Glasgow have been nilled in the knockouts already. Their mix of homegrown core and imported choice cuts looks primed to go all the way. The introductions of RG Snyman, Jordie Barrett and Rabah Slimani this term have been made with an eye to getting over the line after such agonizing losses in the last three European deciders, and a succession of curtailed bids in the URC. Leinster have somehow found themselves criticized in quarters for making those signings. And the IRFU for allowing them. It's as if people have excised the memories of Isa Nacewa, Rocky Elsom and Brad Thorn from their minds. And those of Doug Howlett and Ruan Pienaar and more again besides. This is the sort of added firepower that the province lacked in recent times and, if the aim is to bring about success in the short-term, then assistant coach Robin McBryde is among the chorus declaring how it will stand to everyone down the line. 'I would call it short-term thinking in terms of [criticising] why they're here instead of an Irish-qualified player, but we've seen the benefit that the youngsters get from being alongside them, playing and training with them, just bouncing ideas off each other. Read More RG Snyman returns for full training ahead as Leinster step up preparations for Northampton clash 'I'm not saying that untruthfully or anything, I'm being 100 percent genuine. A lot of these players will be better for having the experience of playing alongside them, the IP that they've got, all of these players. There's no better feedback than instant feedback. 'If you're a young prop scrummaging against Rabah, you get things wrong, and Rabah is able to tell you what you got wrong. He shares that information. Or if you play alongside him as a hooker. All of those little things just benefit you as a player. 'For your development as a young man, you need to be involved with as many different good players and good coaches that you can, because you get a taste or a feel for the broader way that the game should be played. It enhances your view of the world and of the game and how it should be played.' Snyman has returned to full training this week after recent injury while Ryan Baird came through a second-string's surprise defeat to Scarlets in Wales at the weekend. James Ryan is 'not far away' but won't be involved, again, this time. Other than that, Leinster's injury list is remarkably short given the time of season. Jordan Larmour remains a long-term absence, Will Connors has an arm problem, a knee injury has done for Brian Deeny's season, while Rob Russell is on his way back. None of that quartet would likely have faced the Saints anyway. It's not that there aren't some dark clouds with potential to spill. EPCR are 'hosting' this game on their own and the projection for ticket sales is 'only' 30,000 when last year's meeting at GAA HQ drew a full house of 82,000 with hands-on input from the province. Even the last four defeat of Toulouse at the Aviva Stadium two years ago, which the tournament organisers also hosted alone, attracted over 46,000 despite ticket prices that Ryan publicly criticised the day before the game. There were tickets available for under €40 on Monday evening but there will no doubt be a large cohort who are eyeing the cost of travelling to Wales for a final that Leinster are expected to grace on May 24th. Best laid plans and all that. Northampton geared up for their Dublin visit with a seven-try haul and win against Bristol Bears at the weekend with director of rugby Phil Dowson having named a noticeably strong team for that home tie.
