Latest news with #NathanJohns
Irish Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
How can the provinces break France's dominance?
Gerry Thornley joins the latest episode of The Counter Ruck fresh off his trip to Cardiff to watch the Champions Cup final. He breaks down the future landscape for free-to-air rugby in Ireland, analyses France's domination of the Champions Cup, looks at the chances of Noel McNamara returning home and more. Alongside host Nathan Johns, talk also turns to injuries ahead of the provincial run in the URC knockouts, and the importance of Leinster lifting the domestic trophy at the end of the campaign. Produced by John Casey.
The Journal
25-04-2025
- Sport
- The Journal
Munster's URC play-off hopes suffer blow with defeat in Cardiff
Cardiff 26 Munster 21 Nathan Johns reports from Cardiff Arms Park A FIVE-POINT defeat to Cardiff has cost Munster the opportunity to solidify their hopes for the URC knockouts, the province falling in an ill-disciplined display in the Welsh capital. Fineen Wycherley and Jack O'Donoghue saw yellow either side of half-time, and their combined 20 minutes in the bin cost Munster 26 points – a total they could not overhaul. Advertisement In a first half which saw Munster concede 12 unanswered points with Wycherley in the bin, the province nevertheless took a narrow lead into half-time. Calvin Nash and Mike Haley – making his first start since January – crossed while both sides were at full complement, Gabriel Hamer-Webb and Harri Millard hitting back when Cardiff ran at 14 men. The 42 Subscribers can read the full match report here (€) The 42′s award-winning team produces original content that you won't find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women's sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Times
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Should the 7-1 split be outlawed?
The now infamous 7-1 forward split on the bench hit the headlines once again recently when World Rugby announced they would not be outlawing the practice. The innovation, first used by South Africa and made more prominent by France in the recent Six Nations, is controversial in some quarters. While not quite at culture war levels, the use of extra forwards has prompted a strong rebuke, as either dangerous, against the spirit of the game, or both, from plenty of those involved in the game. One of those is Owen Doyle. A former international referee and current Irish Times columnist, he joins Nathan Johns to talk through World Rugby's latest law development. Should the 7-1 split be outlawed, or is it simply a case of clever innovation, leaving the rest of the world to catch up? Produced by John Casey.
Irish Times
22-04-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
How to fix the Champions Cup?
The Champions Cup is not the competition it used to be. For all Munster's recent trips to France provided a feel-good window of sport at its best, plenty of dead rubber ties reminded us that it is difficult to get the best of the best facing off in truly competitive ties. That the pool stages have featured too many hammerings on the scoreboard to be a proper competition has been true for some time. That such drubbings continue until the quarter-final stage is worrying. Plenty of column inches and podcast segments have been dedicated to calling out the issue for what it is, but what are the solutions? Gerry Thornley joins Nathan Johns to explore what can be done. How did it get to this stage in the first place? Are the English clubs truly dedicated to the competition? How have TV rights issues played into the problem? How can we fix the Champions Cup? Produced by John Casey.
