Gonna be a busy day for Bluesky with X, banks and half the internet down due to cloudflare

Big changes from Stuart Lancaster - Astonishingly only four of the starting team from final game of last season.

My best guess at week one handicaps for the URC. Obviously I could be miles off. Comments welcome. Stormers v Leinster / +8.5 Ulster v Dragons / -9.5 Glasgow v Sharks / -8.5 Bulls v Ospreys / -8.5 Zebre v Edinburgh / +7.5 Scarlets v Munster/ +4.5 Cardiff v Lions / -4.5 Connacht v Benetton / -6.5

Without using a search engine - last time Ireland had eight starters in the Lions team was 2013 - can you name the 8 Irish players?

List of players leaving Leinster Ross Byrne - Gloucester Rory Maguire - Unknown Ben Brownlee - Munster? Aitzol Arenzana-King - Unknown Rob Russell - Ulster? Connacht? Liam Turner - Unknown Michael Milne - Munster Lee Barron - Munster Jordie Barrett - Cian Healy - Retired

Saturday HSBC Rugby 7s, TNT Sports 3, 9am London v Roscommon, GAA+, 2:30pm Hull FC v Hull KR, BBC1, 2:30pm Leinster v Harlequins, RTE2, 3pm Aintree Grand National, Virgin 1, 4pm Dubai World Cup, Virgin 2, 5pm La Rochelle v Munster, Premier 1, 5:30 Connacht v Cardiff, Premier 2, 8pm

There’ll be changes to both squads for Connacht v Munster this Saturday! Connacht are boosted by the return of • Cian Prendergast • Mack Hansen • Bundee Aki • Finlay Bealham

Jack Crowley at a Crossroads: Will He Stay with Munster or Follow Sexton’s Path Abroad? www.sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/rugby_... via @sportireland.bsky.social

With 5 games to go, here’s how I reckon the URC finishes (100% scientific guesswork): 1.Leinster 2.Glasgow 3.Bulls 4.Sharks 5.Stormers (57–58) 6.Munster (53–54) 7.Edinburgh (51–52) 8.Lions (50–51) 9.Ospreys (47–48) 10.Connacht (46–47)

Great to see so many future Irish internationals in action for Connacht this evening — Cathal Forde, Hugh Gavin, Finn Tracey, Shane Bolton, Matthew Devine, and Darragh Murray should all be travelling with Ireland for the summer tests against Georgia and Portugal! 🇮🇪☘️🏉

No doubt Connacht fans will be glued to Munster v Glasgow on Friday – Andrew Smith gets his first start, lining out with Tom Farrell and Sean O’Brien. Throw in JJ and Diarmuid Killgannon, and at this rate Munster are close to a full set of ex-Connacht backs.

This Week in Rugby 1.The Women’s Six Nations kicks off next week — fingers crossed we actually show up. With a World Cup looming in England this August, even a half-decent showing could bring thousands of new fans on board.

Friday St Pats v Bohs, 7:30pm, Virgin 2 U20 Italy v Ireland, 8pm, RTE2 Sat Italy v Ireland, 2:15pm, RTE2 Wales v England - 4:45pm, Virgin 1 Kerry v Armagh, 5:30pm, RTE2 Galway v Dublin, 7:30pm, TG4 France v Scotland, 8pm, RTE2 Sun Derry v Mayo, 1:30pm, TG4 Donegal v Tyrone, 3:30pm, TG4

Irish Rugby Transfers: 2025/26 Signings for Munster, Leinster, Ulster & Connacht (Updated Weekly) www.sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/irish-... via @sportireland.bsky.social

Predicted Starting Teams – Ireland v France – Six Nations www.sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/predic... via @sportireland.bsky.social

Shows how much more competitive the URC has become, with only four of the sixteen teams holding winning records. After tonight’s victory, Zebre are now ahead of the Stormers, Lions, Ospreys, Connacht, and Ulster.

The Effects of New Gaelic Football Rules on the 2025 Season www.sportsnewsireland.com/gaa/the-effe... via @SportsNewsIreland

Garry Ringrose Banned for Three Matches – Breakdown of decision www.sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/rugby_... via @SportsNewsIre

Video – Ireland Legends Cian Healy, Conor Murray & Peter O’Mahony Announce International Rugby Retirement After Six Nations www.sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/rugby_... via @SportsNewsIRE

Connacht Must Deliver as Coaching Changes Loom and Benetton Travel Depleted www.sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/rugby_... via @SportsNewsIreland

Felix Jones Returns to Springboks Coaching Staff www.sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/rugby_... via @SportsNewsIreland

Connacht Set to Appoint Rod Seib as Attack Coach Amid Coaching Reshuffle www.sportsnewsireland.com/rugby/rugby_... via @sportireland.bsky.social

Anyone hear news on the next Munster coach? Lots of rumours around tonight

European Rugby Last 16 - Dates and kickoff times. Saturday 5th April Leinster Rugby v Harlequins, 3pm La Rochelle v Munster Rugby, 6:30pm Connacht v Glasgow, 8pm Sunday 6 April  Bordeaux v Ulster Rugby, 1:30pm

My thoughts on the Mack Hansen ban: It’s almost laughable. Feels like the IRFU ensured he’d serve a ban that only impacts Connacht games. The usual story when it comes to Connacht. #Shitshow

🏉 Connacht’s Mack Hansen receives a 6-week ban (3 suspended) + €10K suspended fine. He apologised & will miss 3 games. Connacht to run media training. 📅 Games missed: • 11 Jan v Lyon • 17 Jan v Cardiff • 24 Jan v Glasgow

New Rugby Laws kick off this weekend! 🏉⏱️ •60s for conversions (shot clock). •30s for lineouts = less downtime. •Uncontested lineouts? If it crooked but didn’t compete, it’s play on! •Scrum-halves protection. All the messing with tapping their hands etc is gone.

Injury Update for Ulster Rugby, it’s a scary list for fans: Unavailable for selection: •Baloucoune •McCloskey •Moxham •Hume •Rea •Reffell • Stewart •Jacob Stockdale • Michael Lowry Tom O’Toole has been suspended for Ulster’s next 3 games. #UlsterRugby

💥 Ulster: • John Cooney returns from injury to start at scrum-half. • Jack Murphy could debut off the bench. • Andrew Warwick comes into the front row. • Zac Ward makes his first URC start 💥 Munster: • Six changes • Shane Daly and Paddy Patterson in. • John Ryan starts

It’s Christmas time, and the last call for Santa letters is here! If you could ask for TWO star players for your team, or have TWO key positions filled by top-class talent, who or what would you wish for? 🌟🏉

Friday Munster welcome the return of a few key players, but Castres will be a much tougher challenge. With a six-day turnaround and a trip to France to contend with, you’d have to think the French side might just edge this one.

Leinster fans are anointing Sam Prendergast as Ireland’s next long-term ten ✨, while Munster fans nitpick his every mistake 🔍 and insist Jack Crowley is the only choice for the role. It’s shaping up to be another Sexton vs O’Gara debate 🔴🔵. Such fun for the next five years.

Can we stop calling European Rugby the premier club competition in Europe? That ship has sailed. Teams are now content to rest their star players Only 4 teams—Toulouse, Leinster, Saracens, and La Rochelle—have the squads to win the Champions Cup. The issue isn’t the format—it’s resources.

Jordie Barrett making the bench is impressive 👏, Bristol have looked good, they might get close 🤔. Connacht have named a solid squad. Hopefully Sean Naughton gets plenty of time Munster are up against Stade’s 2nds/3rds 🏉, big win Ulster might need Devine intervention 🙏 to stay within 25 points.

🎅✨ As the silly season of transfer rumors kicks into full gear, here are some of the most intriguing whispers coming from the French media! 🇫🇷 🔥 Ross Byrne 🔗 Montpellier 🔥 John Cooney 🔗 Bordeaux 🔥 Jacob Stockdale 🔗 Racing 92 #onlyrumours

Rumors suggest that Jordie Barrett won’t be in Leinster for long, as he’s reportedly set to sign with an English Premiership club for next season. Even if it’s just a short stint, it’s fantastic to have one of the world’s best players in the URC! 🌟🏉

#ULSvLEI 🏉 ⚪ Alan O’Connor captains Ulster, with Tom Stewart returning from a long-term ankle injury and named on the bench. 🔵 Four Leinster players return from injury to the starting XV: Jack Conan, Jimmy O’Brien, John McKee, and Jordan Larmour. Lee Barron also makes his comeback on the bench.

‼️ UPDATE ‼️ 🇮🇪 Ireland Team News: Tadhg Furlong, Jamie Osborne, Jacob Stockdale & Ryan Baird are OUT 🔄 : • 🟢 Dave Heffernan ➡️ Connacht • 🟠 Nick Timoney ➡️ Ulster • 🔵 Jack Boyle ➡️ Leinster • 🔴 Alex Kendellen ➡️ Munster 🇦🇺 Australia Blow: Will Skelton recalled by La Rochelle 🇫🇷. #IREvAUS 🏉

Bookies’ predictions for the weekend: Fri: Leinster to beat Ulster by 4pts Sat: Ireland to beat Australia by 15pts Bulls to beat Connacht by 4pts Munster to beat Lions by 8pts Ulster should beat Leinster B Connacht will struggle Munster unpredictable Ireland hard to predict

Thoughts?? Sam Prendergast had 59 touches in 70 minutes against Fiji Jack Crowley had just 12 vs New Zealand and 30 vs Argentina. Obviously Fiji were horrible bad compared Argentina and New Zealand. But it’s definitely surprising Really interesting stat from @caolanrugby

Am I missing something? How can the bookies expect Ireland to beat Fiji by 20 points and for 55 points to be scored in the game? Sure, the weather will be dry, and it’s expected to hit 15 degrees, but Ireland doesn’t seem capable of scoring 40 points.

Gonna be someday for the Prendergast family, phenomenal to have brothers playing for Ireland. Which set of brothers would have made the biggest impact on Irish Rugby?

Cormac Izuchukwu and Gus McCarthy will make their Ireland debuts in the starting lineup. Sam Prendergast starts at 10, with Jamie Osborne named at full-back. Craig Casey, Bundee Aki, and Jacob Stockdale also feature in the starting XV. Tom O’Toole provides cover at loosehead prop from the bench.

What are people’s thoughts on Sam Prendergast starting against Fiji? 🏉🇮🇪 I’m genuinely surprised the bookies predict Ireland will win by 20 points. 🤔 We don’t look like a team capable of scoring 40 points. 🤷‍♂️

Conor Niland’s The Racket wins William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award 2024   Former Irish professional tennis player scoops prestigious prize with revealing memoir @kennysbookshop.bsky.social www.kennys.ie/elasticsearc...

Connacht v Munster set for 29th March, could be played in Castlebar. Any thoughts?

Have the November internationals shown that Ireland still has a few areas to improve if they want to keep up with the big rugby nations? 🤔 Which players deserve a chance next summer, especially since the 6 Nations might be out of reach for them? 🏉 #IrishRugby

Team news

Starting teams