The very picture of happiness!
Brian McLaughlin’s selection for Ulster’s final home game of the season could equally be described as either overly cautious or unambitious – or are they merely different words to describe the same state of mind? Continue reading
The Heir Apparent. But when does his reign start?
Master Po: Close your eyes. What do you hear?
Young Caine: I hear the water, I hear the birds.
Po: Do you hear your own heartbeat?
Caine: No.
Po: Do you hear the grasshopper which is at your feet?
Caine: Old man, how is it that you hear these things?
Po: Young man, how is it that you do not? Continue reading
Dan Tuohy (26) takes on Simon Zebo (21) in an emblematic image that shows the differing age profile between the two teams.
The Mole has written before about how the failings of the Munster Academy in the second Declan Kidney era are now affecting the fortunes of the province. While Kidney handed over a hard-nosed championship team to Tony McGahan in June 2008, things weren’t quite so rosy under the surface. Continue reading
Rassie Erasmus, the new GM of the Springboks. Wonder who he has his eye on in the draft?
The South African Rugby Union have just appointed Rassie Erasmus as the Springbok general manager. ESPN Scrum.com reports that “The former Stormers coach will take on responsibility for the high performance teams and will also be involved with the Springboks when they are in camp.” Continue reading
It’ll take more than the old “banana in the tailpipe” routine, but it’s a good place to start.
There are a few phrases that are innocuous but dangerous. They say one thing and imply a lot more. “Soft landing” springs to mind. In rugby, “in transition” is another. Continue reading
There’s always something satisfying about seeing a big talker being cut down to size, and Saracens home quarter-final loss to Clermont Auvergne was not so much a classic of the genre as merely a run of the mill example. Nevertheless, it was rewarding to watch. Continue reading
The Cardiff Blues brought a knife to a gunfight at Lansdowne Road, and were absolutely hockeyed off the pitch in the first half. They saved some pride with a hard-fought if uninspiring performance in the second forty, but were ultimately held scoreless for 78 minutes, having opened the game with a Leigh Halfpenny penalty. Continue reading
The Heineken Cup produces season after season of drama and entertainment. The six pool system throws up fascinating permutations and as well as a number of cross border rivalries. Continue reading
Ulster performed an astonishing smash-and-grab raid in the first half-hour at Thomond park, then stuck around to take an absolute walloping from the suddenly awakened and irate home-owners before finally staggering away with the spoils. Continue reading
Two thirds of Munster's front-row. Guess the odd one out.
Tony McGahan leaves Munster at the end of the season. Over the last couple of years he has seen the province through a particularly tricky rebuilding phase, and while it’s not yet complete, The Mole thinks that the body of the work has been done. Continue reading
Digging Like a Demented Mole 