Tommy Bowe: Probably one of, if not the most, popular players on the team, and one of the most accomplished. Beside being the second highest test try-scorer in the history of Irish rugby – behind only Brian O’Driscoll – Bowe is also a five test Lion, a double IRUPA Player of the Year [2008 and 2010] and a former Six Nations Player of the tournament [2010].
A few things stood out for me from Joe Schmidt’s team selection for the opening RWC game against Canada on Saturday. Continue reading
The Leinster second-string backline head out to training. They’re very keen on playing on tightly-mown surfaces, both so that their flashy skills and quick feet are in evidence and so that they can actually see each other. It’d be like patrolling in Vietnam if they had to play in a meadow. Because they’re all midgets, y’see?
There’s nothing inherently noble or right about having a small backline, rather than one composed of enormous, planet-boshing mutants. When old-timers quote the gospel that rugby is a sport for all shapes and sizes, they conveniently forget that a good big ‘un will always beat a good little ‘un. Continue reading
The Mole may have mentioned before that he’s a big fan of Off The Ball, and especially their rugby coverage. Last night saw Denis Hickie and Matt ‘Mattie’ Williams give their opinion on the stalling – breakdown? – of Luke Fitzgerald’s contract talks with the IRFU. Continue reading
Jonathan Sexton put in a performance that had rugby purists weak at the knees, and an über-confident Leinster fed Bath a fifty-burger on Saturday night in the Aviva Stadium. Continue reading
Leinster must have taken a half-time bollocking from the Milky Bar Kid, because they came out in the second half and scored 22 unanswered points against a gamey Connacht side. Continue reading
Of all positions the Mole has looked at to date for his Select XV, it’s probably on the wing where there are more worthy contenders than any other. Continue reading
Digging Like a Demented Mole 