State of Play: Week of fate as AIL reaches business end
After 17 weeks, things are starting to take shape in the Energia All-Ireland League.
Rugby Sport News
'We were blown away': Dobson rues 'flat' Stormers performance after Champions Cup exit
Stormers head coach John Dobson lamented his team’s flat performance at the worst possible moment after they were knocked out of the Champions Cup at the hands of Exeter Chiefs on Saturday night.
Blues coach McDonald lauds Barrett display after 'harsh' criticism
Auckland Blues coach Leon McDonald praised Beauden Barrett after the All Blacks playmaker overcame a week in which his form was questioned to lead his side to a 54-17 Super Rugby Pacific win over the Melbourne Rebels on Saturday (Apr 8).
Basic errors let Lions down as SA's maiden European Cup participation ends
FT | Glasgow 31-21 Lions
Sharks changeroom 'dead quiet' after Toulouse defeat: 'For most of the game we were really in it'
Sharks director of rugby Neil Powell gave a sombre analysis after his side's heavy defeat to Toulouse in the Champions Cup quarter-finals on Saturday.
Exeter Chiefs rout Stormers to book semi-final spot
Exeter emphatically ended South African interest in this season's Heineken Champions Cup as they booked a semi-final place by beating the Stormers 42-17 at Sandy Park. The Chiefs, Champions Cup winners in 2020, will face La Rochelle or Saracens in the last four later this month after a six-try success. If reigning European champions La Rochelle beat Saracens on Sunday, the semi-final will be in Bordeaux, but a Saracens triumph would send a mouth-watering all-English showdown to Bristol City's Ashton Gate. Just a week on from a stamina-sapping victory over Montpellier that was decided on try count after extra-time, Exeter delivered an immense performance that saw them dominate every key area. The Stormers encountered difficulties travelling from Cape Town to Devon, and they were never in contention as Exeter posted tries during the first 30 minutes from full-back Tom Wyatt, captain Jack Nowell and his fellow wing Olly Woodburn, all converted by Joe Simmonds.
Stormers' fire extinguished in Exeter as SA's Champions Cup campaign ends with a whimper
English Premiership side Exeter Chiefs poured a cold bucket of water on the usual Stormers fire at Sandy Park to knock the last South African team out of the European Champions Cup on Saturday.
Ian McIntosh's family invites Sharks fans to Kings Park for 'celebration of life'
Kings Park will host a celebration of former coach Ian McIntosh's life on Wednesday, 12 April, the Sharks confirmed on Saturday.