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British & Irish Lions tour Australia in 2013

Ireland Rugby — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 10:57:40 +0000

The British & Irish Lions will play three Tests against the Wallabies on a nine-match tour of Australia in 2013, taking on Australia in Brisbane on June 22nd, Melbourne on June 29th and Sydney on July 6th.

Lions tours of Australia come around once every 12 years and Australia one the last series by two Tests to one.

This time they will warm up against the Barbarians in Hong Kong on June 1st, before taking on Western Force in Perth on June 5th. They’ll also play Australia other Super 15 teams:

Queensland Reds in Brisbane on June 8,
the New South Wales Waratahs in Sydney on June 15,
ACT Brumbies in Canberra on June 18 and
Melbourne Rebels in Melbourne on June 25.

There will also be a match against a combined NSW-Queensland Country lineup in Newcastle on June 12.

What did the South Africans ever do for us?

Ireland Rugby — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 10:09:42 +0000

It’s almost a Monty Python line, although in their case it was the Romans!

But South Africa have done a lot for Irish Rugby, it hasn’t just been the year when Leinster took Heineken Cup glory, or the year when Ireland won their first Grand Slam in 61 years… It was a Lions year….

The experience gained by some of the younger players out there is outstanding, Bowe and Kearney both showed they can be stars in their own right… Fitzgerald and Heaslip stepped up to the mark at a southern hemisphere international level and did so with pride.

Others were outstanding too, Ferris only ruled out of a test place through injury and Earls who will have learnt so much from this trip.

Wait, they were just the youngsters, we’ve got some true world class players already in that squad – O’Driscoll, O’Connell, David Wallace.

Then there’s those who missed out O’Leary and Flannery – and both will be determined to get on top form to show what they could have done in South Africa.

Three autumn internationals are ahead Australia, Fiji and South Africa, and the tough end of the stick in the Six Nations with away trips to Paris and Twickenham.

But with Kidney, Gaffney and Smal all guiding this team where can it really go? They have to be playing full scale rugby – no more the underdogs…

British and Irish Lions 2009

Ireland Rugby — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 12:42:06 +0000

The tour of South Africa in 2009 will see Ireland face three Test matches against the Springboks.

Over a period of six weeks (six weekend and four midweek fixtures), Ireland will play in seven cities facing both club sides, and an interesting fixture against the Emerging Springboks.

Since 1891 the Lions have won 16 Tests against the Springboks and lost 21, while seven Tests have been drawn.

30 MAY 2009 SATURDAY
HIGHVELD XV ROYAL BAFOKENG RUSTENBURG
3 JUNE 2009 WEDNESDAY
GOLDEN LIONS ELLIS PARK JOHANNESBURG
6 JUNE 2009 SATURDAY
CHEETAHS VODACOM PARK BLOOMFONTEIN
10 JUNE 2009 WEDNESDAY
SHARKS ABSA PARK DURBAN
13 JUNE 2009 SATURDAY
WESTERN PROVINCE NEWLANDS CAPE TOWN
16/17 JUNE 2009* TUESDAY / WEDNESDAY*
COASTAL XV* TO BE CONFIRMED* PORT ELIZABETH*
20 JUNE 2009 SATURDAY
1ST TEST ABSA PARK DURBAN
23 JUNE 2009 TUESDAY
EMERGING SPRINGBOKS NEWLANDS CAPE TOWN
27 JUNE 2009 SATURDAY
2ND TEST LOFTUS VERSFELD PRETORIA
4 JULY 2009 SATURDAY
3RD TEST ELLIS PARK JOHANNESBURG

O’Sullivan to Coach the Lions?

Ireland Rugby — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 11:38:04 +0000

Now there’s a question!

After the Irish World Cup performance, what would it take for Eddie still to be offered the job and not McGeechan (or possibly even Gatland for that matter?).

Is a Grand Slam required in the Six Nations 2008, and if so is it a possibility?