Latest news with #McBryde
Wales Online
3 days ago
- Sport
- Wales Online
Today's rugby news as Springboks publish photo evidence in major row and Gatland lieutenant saddened
Today's rugby news as Springboks publish photo evidence in major row and Gatland lieutenant saddened The latest headlines from Wales and around the world Warren Gatland and Robin McBryde (Image: Getty Images for Barbarians ) These are your latest rugby headlines on Monday, June 2. Coach produces photo evidence in major rugby row South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus has come out in defence of his under-fire scrum-half Jaden Hendricks after the Springbok sparked controversy during the Sharks' stunning penalty shootout victory over Munster in the URC quarter-finals. After 100 minutes of rugby in Durban, the two teams could not be separated with the scoreline at 24-24, meaning the match went down to a place-kicking competition. Munster selected Jack Crowley, Rory Scannell and Conor Murray for their kicks, while the Sharks chose Hendrikse, his brother Jordan, and Bradley Davids. The shootout turned ugly when Hendrikse scored his second kick but immediately fell to the ground, claiming to be suffering from cramp. He was treated by physios on the pitch, but this saw him obstruct Crowley, who was due to take a kick from the same spot. There were immediate suspicions that Hendrikse had intentionally collapsed to throw Crowley off his kick, and they appeared to be confirmed when he was caught on camera winking at the Munster fly-half while lying on the ground. As a result, Hendrikse's actions sparked anger among the Munster players, who remonstrated with the referee, while fans and pundits around the world have also voiced their disapproval of what unfolded. However, Erasmus has appeared to defend Hendrikse - who he recently selected for the Springboks' summer alignment camp - by sharing a photo of the scrum-half's leg while he was lying on the floor. Content cannot be displayed without consent The picture shows that the player's calf was undeniably cramping at the time, with Erasmus posting the picture on X alongside a shrugging emoji. There was a mixed response from the coach's online followers, however, with many questioning why Hendrikse couldn't have been treated elsewhere on the pitch and asking why the wink was necessary. McBryde saddened by Welsh problems Former Wales coach Robin McBryde has admitted it is tough to watch Welsh rugby's struggles right now. McBryde, who served as forwards coach under Warren Gatland for years during a period of huge success, is now with Leinster and was speaking after this weekend's win over the Scarlets that ended Welsh rugby's season. It comes on the back of 17 straight defeats for the national side and a bitter row behind the scenes between the WRU and Ospreys and Scarlets, with the number of regions likely to be cut. The former Wales hooker has been saddened to see the demise of the national team and continuing problems at regional level since his departure in 2019, although he praised the Scarlets for their efforts in the 33-21 URC play-off defeat. McBryde told the BBC: "It's very hard. I know a lot of people involved in Welsh rugby both nationally and regionally. They are trying their best. It's very tough to watch from the outside in. "It's great from a Scarlets perspective. They came here, they fired a shot. Hopefully things will get better, they have turned a corner and things will improve from here." McBryde previously said: "The situation makes me really sad from a Welsh point of view. I'm very much on the outside looking in but the biggest concern for me is it seems rugby has lost its soul in Wales. "I don't think anyone is enjoying themselves. There's not a lot of people watching the game and it's just very sad." North speaks out after disappointment A disappointed George North has issued a message to Provence supporters after his side missed out on a place in the Pro D2 play-off final. The former Wales international was hoping to help his side secure promotion to the Top 14 in his first season out in France, but that dream came to an end when they fell to a 38-17 defeat to Grenoble in the play-off semi-final on Thursday evening. While fellow Welshman Sam Davies delivered a superb performance pulling the strings for Grenoble, North had a frustrating evening as he was withdrawn from the action after 52 minutes, with his team falling to defeat despite having a man advantage for the final 25 minutes after Richard Hardwick was shown a red card. Earlier in the match, North had been floored by a thumping tackle from Thibaut Martel, with Grenoble scoring on the resulting counter attack after the ball was spilled loose. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. It was a disappointing end to what has been an impressive first campaign for the 33-year-old, who has made a good impression both on and off the field in his new home. And North has now assured supporters that he and his teammates will put the disappointment behind them, with focus already turning to next season. Taking to X, he wrote: "Not the way we wanted to finish. Recovery and refocus for next season." Smith: We're ready for the challenge By PA Sport staff Glasgow head coach Franco Smith believes they are better equipped to face Leinster in next weekend's semi-final than recent trips to Dublin. Defending champions Warriors set up a BKT United Rugby Championship last-four encounter at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday when they secured a five-try 36-18 triumph over the Stormers at Scotstoun on Friday night. Leinster were not at their best in their quarter-final but had enough to beat Scarlets 33-21 at the Aviva Stadium. Warriors lost 13-5 in the Irish capital in the final match of the regular URC season and were thrashed 52-0 there in April in the Champions Cup. Smith said: 'You must put the Leinster games in perspective. The first one, we were in the middle of the season, there were a lot of injuries in that period. There were so many out at that certain stage. 'The expectation (on Leinster) was massive because they hadn't played their top team since the Six Nations. Everything worked for them. Nothing went well (for us). 'If that happens with Leinster, they could put international teams away like that. That's what we took from that. 'The next time, we were more ready for the challenge. Hopefully, that will help us this time.' Emotions run high as five bow out By PA Sport Staff Emotions were running high as Edinburgh's season ended with defeat in an 11-try thriller in South Africa. Edinburgh made a flying start in Pretoria on Saturday but conceded three tries in 13 second-half minutes and ultimately went down 42-33 against the Bulls in the United Rugby Championship quarter-finals. Wes Goosen and Ross Thompson both scored doubles and Ewan Ashman also crossed but Edinburgh's hopes of the title were dashed. It was a final game in Edinburgh colours for Jamie Ritchie, Ali Price, Mark Bennett and Javan Sebastian while Robin Hislop watched on knowing that he has now played his last match. Head coach Sean Everitt revealed it was a 'very emotional changing room' after the game with his five departing players 'absolutely gutted'. 'Ali Price has come to work every day since he's joined Edinburgh with a smile on his face, which is really contagious amongst the team and it certainly brought a lot to the table,' he added. 'You look at a guy like Jamie Ritchie that's been at the club for 11 seasons. He's been really outstanding since I've been there for the last two years. 'One of the standout players, player of the year last year and was also a nominee for player of the year this year. Article continues below 'We will miss him. His competitive edge and leadership is something that we will miss and we wish him well going forward.'
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rodney Crowell Duets With Ashley McBryde, Lukas Nelson on New ‘Airline Highway' Album
'The next time hell starts freezing over/be sure to give a call,' Rodney Crowell sings with Ashley McBryde on the new duet 'Taking Flight,' a soaring blues-rock ballad about the miles and years separating former lovers. Ending with an electrifying solo by Tyler Bryant, 'Taking Flight' appears on the songwriter's upcoming studio album, Airline Highway. Produced by Bryant, a Nashville guitar hero and solo artist, Airline Highway features cameos by McBryde, Blackberry Smoke's Charlie Starr, Lukas Nelson, and the country-rock sibling duo Larkin Poe — making for a particularly high-octane album. More from Rolling Stone Willie Nelson to Reinterpret the Songs of Rodney Crowell on New Album Ringo Starr Teams With Jack White, Sheryl Crow for Country-Themed Concert Special Ashley McBryde Sings Kris Kristofferson's 'Help Me Make It Through the Night' at 2024 CMA Awards 'Ashley McBryde came over to the house to take a swing at writing a song together. 'Flight' is a fictional account of a discussion we had about stardom and driving at night in the south,' Crowell says of the collaboration with McBryde, who appears with the songwriter in the music video too. 'With the exception of the Allman Brothers, I can't say I was ever a fan of 'Southern Rock.' Tyler Bryant's off the cuff solo at the end of the song made me reconsider.' 'Simply sitting across from Rodney is magical,' McBryde says. 'Writing a song with an icon is such an honor and being able to call him my friend is one of the great joys of my life. 'Taking Flight' explored heartache on a plane I hadn't been on before. For Rodney to choose me as a cowriter and a singer is something that only existed in my dreams. This record speaks for itself and I am so happy I get to be part of its journey.' Airline Highway, due Aug. 29 on New West Records, is the follow-up to Crowell's 2023 album with Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, The Chicago Sessions. He says the idea for this record came during recording that album. 'A chance presented itself to make a record with Jeff Tweedy at his place in Chicago, something I'd always wanted to do. While we were recording, I got to thinking about the first time I sang into a microphone at JD Miller's Studio in Crowley, Louisiana,' Crowell says. 'The record is long forgotten, but not the experience. Producer Tyler Bryant, recording engineer Trina Shoemaker, and I were talking about what comes after The Chicago Sessions. I said, 'How about Louisiana?' Trina cried out, 'I know the perfect plac e —Dockside Studios on the Vermillion River in Maurice. If we don't get eaten by alligators,' she said, 'We'll make a damn fine record.' 'Game on,' Tyler and I shot back, and off we went. A chance to redeem myself after the pitiful drivel we'd put on tape back in Louisiana in '72. Airline Highway will take you there.' Along with McBryde on 'Taking Flight,' Nelson appears on 'Rainy Days in California,' Starr sings on 'Heaven Can You Help,' and Larkin Poe add their signature playing and harmonies on various tracks. Crowell, 74, will support the album with a tour kicking off May 30 in Arkansas and appearances at the Americana Music Festival in Nashville in September. Track Listing: 1. 'Rainy Days in California' (Feat. Lukas Nelson)2. 'Louisiana Sunshine Feeling Okay' (Feat. Larkin Poe)3. 'Sometime Thang'4. 'Some Kind of Woman'5. 'Taking Flight' (Feat. Ashley McBryde)6. 'Simple (You Wouldn't Call It Simple)'7. 'The Twenty-One Song Salute (Owed to G.G. Shinn and Cléoma Falcon)' (Feat. Tyler Bryant)8. 'Don't Give Up on Me'9. 'Heaven Can You Help' (Feat. Charlie Starr)10. 'Maybe Somewhere Down the Road' Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
Irish Examiner
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Leinster aiming to 'reset' in bid to claim first URC title
There is a stripped-back simplicity about the month for Leinster. The Champions Cup final, decided without their input for the first time since 2021, is behind us. The URC regular season has given way to the playoffs. The Lions, squad announced, has been put on ice. There are no other detours or subplots for the province now, just the opportunity of three successive home ties, starting with Saturday's quarter-final against the Scarlets and, they hope, culminating with a first URC title in the same Aviva Stadium a fortnight later. 'It's got to be something of a reset because the last game against Glasgow, the rules were slightly different where you got points for scoring five points or whatever, or finishing within a certain amount, but they're gone now,' said scrum coach Robin McBryde. 'This is knockout rugby, the stakes are a little bit higher and if we're good enough to win this week we'll get an opportunity to play next week, and if we're good enough the following week we'll get to play again.' It really is that simple. Or should be. Talk of a reset makes sense given the pain endured in that Champions Cup semi-final defeat to Northampton Saints earlier this month. The imponderable is whether that day has left any scars deep and debilitating enough to undo Leinster in the short term. The very act of watching, or avoiding, last weekend's decider between the Saints and Bordeaux-Begles will have reinforced the sense of loss and disappointment, even if McBryde, for one, was able to park himself in front of the box and drink it all in. 'Normally when I watch a game of rugby, I watch it through a coach's eyes because of all the analysis work that you do. Sometimes you find it quite hard to switch off without being drawn into the front row or whatever. 'But for whatever reason on Saturday I was able to watch it just as a rugby supporter. I just thought it was a great occasion. I know the stadium lends itself… With the roof closed it was a great atmosphere etc. 'The nature of the game, there was a lot of ebb and flow, there were quite a few mistakes from both teams really but then Bordeaux were just able to close them out at the end. But I was able to watch it.' Leinster have lost all three league semi-finals since the PRO14 morphed into the URC but their record in the last eight round has been impeccable with Ulster, Sharks and Glasgow routed by a combined score of 154-39, all of them played in Dublin. It's just over a month since Scarlets upset a third-string Leinster side in Wales but nothing similar is mappable now, even with Robbie Henshaw confirmed as sidelined for the rest of the club season with a knee problem and Tadhg Furlong out with a minor calf injury. That latter, it must be stressed, is not the same calf that kept the Ireland tighthead on the treatment table for such long spells this season. His British and Irish Lions tour place is not in any way in jeopardy as a result of the issue, according to Leinster. And as for Scarlets? Well, Leinster have often been the boy who called wolf before games like these but they are leaning on that 35-22 loss last month in Parc y Scarlets as justification for any cautious utterances ahead of the task to come. 'There was a lot in that game, but I am not going to take it away from the Scarlets,' said McBryde who spent over a decade playing with the Llanelli/Scarlets club. 'They had a good game plan and stuck to it. They proved good value for [the win]. 'Their consistency in selection, they hardly make any changes if any at all to the starting 15, the starting pack in particular. So they're cohesive, a tough nut to crack. They're comfortable with their game, the way they go about things.'
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 Times
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Leinster expect RG Snyman's big-match nous to count against Northampton
Leinster look good for the weekend against Northampton in the semi-finals of the Champions Cup . RG Snyman is back fit, while Ryan Baird had no reaction to his injury when he played against Scarlets at the weekend in the United Rugby Championship . James Ryan won't make it back in time but Leinster's second defeat of the season in Wales on Saturday, well, that may not be such a terrible thing. It will be a different team that faces the Premiership side to the one that lined out in Parc Y Scarlets, so the dynamics will significantly change. The international players are available, with Snyman and perhaps Jordie Barrett in the squad as Leinster prepare for a repeat of last year's penultimate stage. While Leinster were perplexed with the disconnected performance and result with Scarlets, assistant coach Robin McBryde believes the loss has 'put everybody back on their toes'. 'You think you've covered all bases ... after a performance like that there's lessons for everybody,' he said. 'The first thing we did was look at ourselves as coaches, with regards to how we prepared the team and what didn't we get right. READ MORE 'In the long run, hopefully we can reap the benefit of that shot across the bows and make sure everybody doesn't get ahead of themselves, that they've got everything where it should be for this weekend.' What may concern the frontrow, most likely Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan and Tadhg Furlong, is that the referee for the game at the Aviva Stadium is Frenchman Pierre Brousset. Once the youngest referee in the Top 14, Brousset caused Leinster to do some head scratching in the way he managed the scrum when they played against both Bristol and Harlequins. Despite Harlequins losing 62-0 at Croke Park in the Round of 16 match, Leinster lost nine of the 11 scrums awarded in that game. 'We had a conversation after the Bristol game because it wasn't a great advert for rugby and for scrums,' said McBryde. 'We had a good conversation after that one, against Quins as well ... Rabah's [Slimani] 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. 'We just need to make sure we're seeing the same pictures as Pierre is seeing.' Slimani, along with Barrett and Snyman, have combined to make a tremendous impact since they arrived as Leinster's overseas players. Snyman's offloads and lineout work and Barrett's ability to help the team play have been pivotal in Leinster's success so far. For Springbok Snyman and All Black Barrett, their World Cup medals and big Test match experience should prove invaluable. '[Snyman] is a big-game player, all three of them really, they bring that level of experience with them, that level of composure, and in your interviews with RG I'm sure you've seen he's so easy to talk to,' said McBryde. 'He talks to you as coaches the same as he would with a fellow player, so those connections are very easy to make and that benefits the whole environment. We've seen the benefit that the youngsters get from being alongside them, playing with them and training with them, bouncing ideas off each other. '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 [Intellectual Property] that they've got, all of these players.'
